Nanashi Urameshi, Other Prespectives
by Hai Xia
Summary: A parallel story to Nanashi Urameshi, but shows events from other characters' perspectives. Requests for anything added into the story will be considered.
1. Chapter 1

An annoyingly shrill scream echoed through the woods. Hiei, who had been sleeping in a nearby tree was jerked awake by the noise. He looked around for any immediate danger. Sensing none, he closed his eyes to go back to sleep, trying to commit to memory that good parts of what happened last night to memory with... he could not recall his name. Some that started with an 't', no 's'. A night as a bottom for the first time for the price of learning the location of the demon osteopath Shigure was an easy price to pay. Especially when the other demon was smaller and quicker than expected. But he definitely knew what he was doing with his mouth.

Another scream, even louder than the first one, was sounded. "Help us! Someone!" A deep, hollow laugh from another demon came as a response to the scream. Hiei hoped whoever was laughing would put an end to all the screaming so he could go back to sleep in peace. If he ever found a permanent lover, he hoped he or she could give head half as well as that... guy. "Yasha!" the piercing voice shouted again. "Don't hurt him!" Another deep laugh came in response. Followed by a male voice crying out in pain. "Yasha! Don't kill him! I'll give you all my money if you just leave us alone!"

At the sound of money, Hiei became intrigued. He sat up and listened hard to see if she said anymore. He was unsure what the price Shigure would charge for a Jagan Eye was. Rumored had it was costly, but if he was going to find his tear gem and the ice maidens' world again, he would have to pay Shigure's price whatever the cost. For all the screamer's money, it would not hurt to interfere and he could find another fight to pick with the laughing demon to get stronger. He flitted from tree to until he landed on a tree resting above the scene bellow.

To the right was a large demon that looked like a a centaur, but with a snake's head and tail and long claws hanging from his numerous fingers. To the left was a small crouching figure with dark skin and medium length dark hair in a green and brown tunic holding out a sizable bag of coins in one hand, and holding tightly to a bigger figure with matching dark skin and shorter long dark hair who lay against the first figures shoulder, clearly injured. "Take it!" the crouching figure ordered in screechy voice. "That's why you attacked us isn't it?!" She shook the bag for good measure. It made a pleasant jingling sound.

The demon moved towards the two figures. "How much is in there?"

The young woman looked even more frightened and began to shake with fear as he approached. "Enough for you to enjoy," she squeaked back. "Don't come any closer!"

"You come from that bird clan right? I noticed the emblem on your clothing earlier," the demon said, stopping in his approach to instead start circling the pair like a predator.

"That's right!" the woman said with a more determined voice. "And my mate is like a prince to us. He knows we're out here. He'll come looking for us really soon if he isn't already. If he finds out you injured my brother, he will hunt you down and make you wish you've never been born."

"You're not mated to him yet," the injured figure, Yasha most likely, coughed. The woman shushed him.

"So your mate/not mate is coming for you soon eh little bird?" He stomped his foot towards her for good measure. She flinched, pulling Yasha closer towards her while still keeping the bag of coins in hand. "Tell me? How much more money would your 'mate'," he added in finger quotes for effect, "give me if I held you two for ransom? Or in the case of our injured friend here, just held you for ransom?"

"Don't you dare lay another hand on him!" the woman squealed.

"Or what? Your 'mate' will hunt me down? Let him try little bird." The demon began approaching the pair on the ground again.

"Go away!" She shouted, give the bag of coins a pathetic toss towards the demon. Hiei took that a good time to interfere. Lightning quick, he jumped from the tree, grabbed the bag half way between the woman and the demon, and slowed to a halt a few paces beyond them. He tied the heavy bag to his belt and squared himself into a fighting stance, hand on sword, facing the demon. The demon looked weaker up close that Hiei had originally thought.

The three never noticed Hiei was there until he stopped moving. "Where'd that bag go little bird?!" the demon roared at the woman. The woman, noticing Hiei first, was already looking at him in shock and disbelief. The demon followed her gaze and brought his eyes to Hiei as well. "And who are you? Another bird? Her supposed 'mate'?"

Hiei stared the demon down calmly, waiting to see if he would make the first move. "Ha, he's not my mate," the woman retorted. "But he is one of our men," she bluffed poorly. "He's our lead general. He's the head of our army. My mate's second in command."

The demon turned his gaze back to the woman. "If he's really your general, why doesn't he look like you?"

"Um," she stuttered.

"Why isn't he dressed like you? He doesn't look like an army commander to me," the demon rounded on the woman, taking his eyes off Hiei as if he was too weak to be a concern, which pissed him off. "I've picked my teeth with bones bigger then him."

Hiei, moving at extreme speed, came between the two figures, sword pressed against the neck of the demon. The demon gave a hiss at him, reaching with a large claw to strike him down. Hiei jumped in the air, leaving an after image for the creature to slice through. The woman gave another wordless scream. The demon's claw hit the after image with a hearty, gleeful laugh. After laughing he realized Hiei was gone. He looked around for him on the ground. Hiei was falling back towards the ground, swung his sword with expert precision, slicing off the demon's head, claws, and finally half down his torso before landing on the ground in front of the woman and injured person. The woman gave another shrill cry that could make ears bleed. Hiei was tempted to rip out her throat just to get her to shut up. He shook the blood off his sword and sheathed it. The kill was hardly fun or worth the effort.

The woman let the injured person go, who managed to stay sitting up, and threw herself at Hiei's feet, crying hysterically. "Great Mother!" she said in her high voice. "Great Mother! You saved us! You don't even know us and you saved us!" Hiei looked down at her, mystified by her over dramatics. He took a few steps away. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at him in awe. "Let me bless you as a way to thank you for your courageous heroics."

"Minha," Yasha groaned, half in pain, half in warning. "Don't." He tried to lift his arm up towards her, but halted the effort with a painful wince.

Minha paused in her crying and looked back towards Yasha. "It's okay Yasha. He's a hero. A courageous warrior. He has to be. He heard my cries and saved us." She turned back to face Hiei. "Right?" she asked for confirmation.

Hiei looked down at her and gave her a vicious looking grin. "Hn, I just wanted the money." He tapped the bag of coins hanging heavily on his belt. "She gaped at him. "And a good fight. Too bad the demon behind me was blind and slow. At least this wasn't a total waste of time." He tapped the bag again.

"Give me back my money," Minha half ordered, half whined. She looked like a spoiled, pouting child.

"Hn," he grunted. "I don't think so."

"But that's what a hero would do!" she countered.

"You're the only one saying I'm a hero." She looked at him in disbelief. "Now let's have that blessing you offered as well."

"No!" she snapped incredulously.

Hiei moved and in a flash had Yasha's hair in hand, holding his head up and exposing his neck. He brought his sword to Yasha's neck, cutting into it just enough to cause a trickle of blood to start to pour. Yasha struggled against him, trying to squirm away weakly. Hiei noticed he had deep claws mark running down both his back and abdomen. One of his arms seemed broken and the other dislocated at the elbow. He clearly had been no match for the other demon, but had tried to fight him off nevertheless. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly," Hiei told Minha calmly.

"Let him go! Can't you tell his gravely injured?!" Tears were streaming down her face again. "He could die before he gets to a healer! I'll do anything! Just don't hurt him anymore!"

Hiei drew the sword slightly down deeper on Yasha's throat, making his bleed another small trickle. "You have two choices woman. Either you give me your blessing and that small purse you have stashed inside you tunic." She looked at him surprised that he knew she had hidden away another small stash of money on her person in addition to the bag of coins. She reached her hand up to her chest protectively, where she had the purse hidden underneath a stitched emblem of a hawk, revealing exactly where it was. She gave him a small frown. "Or, I kill him and you give me the blessing and the purse before I slit your throat. If you survive that, you'll never be able to speak again. I think I could live with that."

She glared at him with a frown on her face. He tightened his grip on Yasha's hair and pulled hard for good measure. Yasha winced, trying to move his hands and then grimaced as pain shot up both of his arms. "Don't do it Minha."

At Yasha's pained voice, she seemed to break her resolve. She reached into her tunic, pulled out the purse, and held it out to Hiei. She hung her head towards the ground shamefully. Hiei took the sword from Yasha's neck and shoved him forward towards the ground. Yasha tried to break his fall with his hands instinctively and howled in pain when they came in contact with the ground first. Even if he had been uninjured, he did not seem like he would be much of a threat.

Hiei sauntered over to Minha. When he almost reached her, she threw the small purse at his feet in one last feebly defiant act. He pushed it up over one foot and kicked his leg up in the air with his knee bent. The purse flew up in the air and he caught it, giving in a good shake for good measure. The jingling sound it made was almost as pleasant as the bag tied to his waist. He put it in his pocket.

"Now that blessing," he ordered her. Minha glowered up at him in nonverbal response. He glanced back at Yasha and rest his left hand on his sword.

"You son of a bitch. Give me your hand," she grumbled as she began pulling at her hands. He had not noticed before that she was wearing thin gloves the same shade as her skin tone. Once done, she held out both of her hands, palms up. He kept his left hand resting on his sword and held his right hand out to her. She took it into both of her hands, looking like it was the last thing she ever wanted to touch. She looked up at him with tight lips and a hint of defiance in her eyes.

"Say it out loud," he instructed, in case she was going to think the blessing instead of say it. He was not a mind reader yet and wanted to know what she said.

"As you wish," she hissed through her teeth. The next words out of her mouth were sharp, quick, and unintelligible.

He pulled his hand away, holding it up in the air threateningly. She cowered, bringing her hand protectively over her head. "What did you say?"

She looked up at him passed her arms. "It's just a generic blessing from our clan. I did it in our ancient language because that's how we're supposed to do it. It essentially is a blessing for good luck and prosperity. We, uh, we say to all our warriors."

He glared down at her, doubting if she was telling the truth. She was quivering with fear, arms crossed over her chests with her hand tucked under her armpits, and eyes trained on the ground. "For your own sake and his sake, you better be telling me the truth." He figured whatever she said exactly would be unimportant as she did not look like a very powerful or dangerous demon. He gave her a last quick look over and saw she had a jeweled hair clip holding her hair in place at the base of her neck. "This looks valuable too," he commented before reaching down and unceremoniously ripped it out of her hair a long with several strands of hair. She gave a high pitched, childish wail in response. He brought the clip up to his eyes for a closer look, pulling away at the hanging hairs. It sparkled and shined in a way that proved the jewels in it were real. He put it in his pocket.

"Give that back!" she shouted as she pulled at her now loose hair, inspecting it for damage. "That wasn't part of the deal."

Hiei took two steps back and looked back towards Yasha again. "Want to make a new deal?" Her eyes went wide and she shook her head. Hiei turned and looked at Yasha laying down on the ground. He was too injured to even attempt to fight back or get up off his stomach, but was staring up Hiei with an angry look. Hiei looked over Yasha's body for good measure, noticing a short sword sheathed around his hips. The hilt of the sword had jewels on it as well. He walked over to Yasha, reached down, and yanked the sword off its belt, knocking Yasha's arm in the process which made his grimace. The jewels on it were not as impressive as the jewels on the hair clip, but the sword was pretty valuable looking. He unsheathed it half way and inspected the blade. It looked hardly used. "New deal. You stay both stay still as mice until I'm gone. One move," he looked over to Minha to emphasis his next point, "and I'll change my mind and kill you both anyway with my new sword."

Both glared at him as he walked a way, but other than that stayed put. He stopped a few times to look back at them tauntingly, but not even Minha fell for it. Since he had taken everything he thought was worth money from them, he decided not to waste time in killing them. Leaving them alive meant they would talk about him, spreading his reputation as both a thief and murderer. When he could no longer them, he heard Minha give another yell. This one sounded like it was out of frustration.


	2. Chapter 2

Once Minha was sure the hero turned bandit was out of sight, she healed Yasha's scratches and sword cut wounds as best she could. She was not experienced enough in healing yet to be confident about properly resetting and healing his broken and dislocated arms. She made a make shift splint for his broken arm. He would just have to wait for that until they got back to their village and saw a more experienced healer to take care of his arms.

It was quite a struggle, but Minha manage get the injured Yasha back to the Hayato clan's walled village. He felt exhausted from from his fight, injuries, and blood loss and leaned against her as they walked back. She may have been older than him, but he was almost twice her size. Once at the main gate into the walled village, one of the guards on duty, Kohaku came running out to meet them and took Minha's place in aiding Yasha. Yasha seemed ready to pass out by the time they got to Minha's healing teacher, Chika. Chika had Kohaku set Yasha down on the bed in her main healing room. While Chika reset his arms, Minha watched carefully, trying not to cringe. The pain of resetting the dislocation was too much for Yasha, causing him to pass out. During the process, she explained what had happened to Chika and Kohaku.

"... and once that no good bandit was out of sight, we came here," she finished. Looking over to Kohaku, she asked "what are you still doing here? You have guard duty right now remember?"

He looked away from her uncomfortably. His glance rested on Yasha and then moved off of him as quick as he could. He wrinkled his nose at her and spoke carefully "If you wouldn't mind, please let me know when he wakes up."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," she said dismissively as he left. She and Chika heard him leave, shutting the door softly.

"Out of our way," came an boisterous voice. Minha flinched at the sound of her father's voice. He came into the room uninvited. Minha's breath hitched as she saw clan leader, the Gunju Hayate VII, come in right behind her father. His presence, beyond his tall stature, seemed to fill the room. His long golden hair was tied behind him in two thick braids. She always felt a little mesmerized when she saw him. After Hayate VII came in the slightly shorter and less commanding presence of his, his son and the next clan leader, Doje Hayate VIII. She felt her pulse quicken and her palms grow sweaty. She wiped her hands off on her tunic, hopping Hayate VIII had not noticed. She had to stop herself from staring at him before he noticed. If she were his mate, she would be the most powerful woman in the clan, even if she was an apprentice healer and not a fighter. Her life would finally be perfect if she was his mate. She felt her blood boil when she recalled the square coin he had given her and all the other unmated noble girls in the clan, was still in her purse which was now in the hands of that villainous bandit. Without that coin, she could not prove he chose her as one of his potential mates. That meant she could not stand up next to his other potential mates at the choosing ceremony in tomorrow when he chose who his new mate would be. If she ever saw that bandit again, she would-

"Minha!" her father snapped at her and jerked her roughly on the shoulder to face him. "I asked you a question! What happened!? All we've, our Gunju included," he said with a reverent nod toward Hayate VII, "have heard is you two disappeared and came back later injured. Yasha looks half dead," he nodded towards Yasha's sleeping form. "Mother of all," he said as he pulled at her long hair "just look at the state of your hair!"

She looked up at him, trying not to think how he would have reacted if it were just Yasha and her in the room. She looked over to Hayate VII, head down but looking at him and focused on telling him the story of what had happened. She hoped Hayate VIII would be proud of how brave she was and while, not a fighter, she did whatever she could to save Yasha's life. That he would admire her quick thinking. That this could be the moment he would decide to chose her as his mate instead of the Aiko, who a lot of people said he will pick.

Hayate VII seemed so intrigued with her story, that her father did not dare interrupt her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hayate VIII looked curiously surprised at her ability to bless someone.

When she had finished a heavy silence settled in the air. "Do you feel like either of those two demons had allies that would pose a threat to us?"

She made herself focus on his question instead of her own day dream about Hayate VIII. "No sir," she said respectfully.

"Do you think the one who robbed you two might attack us?"

"No sir."

"Hmm," he hummed, clearly thinking over what she had told them. "We'll double the number of guards around the walls tonight just in case." He dug into his pocket and pulled a simple hair tie. He stepped towards her and handed it to her. "Here my dear," he said softly. Her father side stepped behind her in response.

Once Hayate VII had stepped away, her father ran his fingers through her hair more rough than necessary. Her head was pulled back as he went through the tangles painfully. He pulled her hair down to the base of her skull, took the hair tie from her, and tied it back tightly into a pony tail.

"Father," Hayate VIII spoke softly. "What did she mean by she blessed him?" Minha felt annoyed that he asked about her like she was not even there.

"It's nothing," her father rushed out rudely. "My apologies," he added in quickly when he noticed Hayate VII's went dark. "It was just a bluff she used to keep herself and Yasha alive. Nothing more."

"Hiroto," Hayate VII's voice sounded both calm and furious. "I'll only say this once. Don't you dare lie to my son." Hiroto looked uncomfortable and intimidated. "He may not be gunju yet, which means you can still resist lying him while only being able to tell me the truth." He turned to Chika and requested. "Would you mind leaving the room Ms. Chika?" She nodded and left the room. He turned his gaze again and rested it on Minha. "Minha and her brother Yasha have two unique abilities, that in the wrong hands, could cause unfathomable chaos. They're abilities are known only to their immediate family, myself, and one other council member. It is my responsibility as gunju to keep them safe at all costs. Minha, if you would like to tell my son what you can do, you are welcome."

She nodded bashfully. She spoke to Hayate VIII, trying to remember to breathe. "I can irrevocably bless or curse anyone." Hayate VIII looked at her in utter disbelief. She continued "I can only do it once per person. I have to touch their bare flesh with my bare hands in order for it to work. Yasha can-"

"Just you," Hayate VII spoke to stop her from revealing Yasha's ability. She nodded and looked down at the floor. "Speaking of your blessing, what were your exact words?"

Minha groaned internally, wishing she had given the bandit a different blessing. She felt extremely foolish for saying the blessing she had said, but she had had to think fast in the situation. She wished she had said something way worse. "To love a woman he would never deserve." Her father scoffed disappointingly. Hayate VII shot him a look.

"You said it in our ancient language though. What were those words?"

She closed her eyes to help her recall what she had said in a rush when blessing the bandit. "Nan dangsin-i bad-eul jagyeog-i eobs-eo yeoja ga salang-eul chugbog," she said clearly and confidently.

Her father looked smug as she spoke, but both Hayates looked confused.

"Minha, you're sure those are the words you said?" Hayate VII asked.

She nodded. "Yes sir. Nan dangsi-"

"You..." Hayate VII interrupted her. She bit her tongue to keep quiet, feeling suddenly very nervous. "You... didn't say what you meant to say."

She frowned at him. "what did I saw then?" she squeaked. She racked her brain. She could not have gotten it wrong. Sure she had been thinking fast, but what else could she have possibly said?

"You're not far off from the mark of what you meant to say at least. What you meant or what you should have said was 'nan dangsin-i bad-eul jagyeog-i eobs-eo yeojaleul salanghago dangsin eul chugbog,'" Hayate VII explained.

She mouthed the words he said over again, catching her mistake. She caught it when she got to the second half of the sentence. Her first wish was that Hayate VIII did not know about her mistake. Her second was that her father did not know about it.

"Have you caught your mistake?" Hayate VII asked.

She nodded and took a deep breath. "Instead of saying 'I bless you to love a woman you don't deserve,'... I said... 'I bless you to be loved by a woman you don't deserve.'" She looked down at the ground and blushed with embarrassment. She hoped maybe Hayate VIII would somehow think her brave even with the mistake she made.

"You picked such a pathetic curse and you can't even say it right?!" Her father hissed at her, forgetting that they were next to the gunju and doje. Minha flinched involuntarily, wishing she could have stayed her reaction in front of Hayate VIII.

"Hiroto," Hayate VII practically growled. "Do you recall a previous conversation we've had?" he said with a hint of a threat. "Perhaps you should think it over later."

Hiroto squared himself up. "My apology my lord," he said dismissively.

"Thank you, but it's not me you should be apologizing to," Hayate VII told him.

Hiroto looked down to Minha and placed his hand heavily on her head. He applied more weight then necessary. "My apologies Minha. You did the best you could." He pushed his hand down more and then lifted it away. Minha realized she had been holding her breath and let it out slowly.

"You did fine Minha," Hayate VII said with praise. She felt pride swell up in her chest. "You two should not have gone out there without anyone's knowledge and both of you were attacked. You did whatever you could do to keep you and your brother alive. You may not be a fighter, but you were brave."

She smiled meekly. "What about my coin?" she asked, chancing it now. "The one you gave me," she looked up at Hayate VIII. He did not seem to like her looking at him. "It was in the purse that the bandit stole from me. It was supposed to be safe there."

Hiroto looked annoyed, but kept his mouth shut. Hayate VIII refused to meet her eyes and looked annoyed with her.

Hayate VII spoke to Hayate VIII. "It's your call son. You can give her another square coin so she can be in the choosing ceremony. Or you can decide not to give her a second chance sense she lost her coin. Had she been responsible and not left the village with her brother, she would never have had the coin stolen from her in the first place."

Hayate VIII looked at his father, then her father, and then Minha. She gave him a hopeful, pleading look. He would not meet her eyes. "No," he ruled. She gave a startled whimper. Her father looked incredulous. "It would not be fair to the other potential mates who have kept their coins safe. You lost it. You lost your chance at becoming my mate."

"But I was brave!" she countered shrilly, not caring about who all was in the room. "I saved my brother! I told you we were just out for a picnic and were coming right back when we attacked by the first demon!"

Hayate VIII shook his head. "I need to be fair to the others."

Minha tensed up and clenched her fists. Before she could respond, he father spoke angrily. "How dare you-"

"Hiroto," Hayate VII. "You better finish that sentence without a threat," he hissed, hand resting on his sword.

Hiroto snarled. "How dare you... make such a... wise decision... slowly..." Hayate VII stared him down, hand still on his sword. "When your father is gone, many years from now, you may need to think faster and... use your intelligence wisely."

Even Minha caught on that his complement was a total lie. She noticed he said it to Hayate VIII instead of Hayate VII so he could just make something up off the top of his head.

Minha continued to stare uncomfortably at Hayate VIII. Somehow, she had to get him to give her another coin.


	3. Chapter 3

Yasha was still sleeping when Chika finally told Minha go home as the sun was setting. "He'll be fine here tonight," Chika reassured her, stroking her hair gently. "You should rest up for the mate choosing ceremony tomorrow," she said with a slight smile. Minha furrowed her brow at the comment Chika said that was supposed to be nice. Chika had not heard her conversation with Hayate VIII that he would not give her another coin. She had racked her brain, trying to think a way to get him to change his mind. She looked down at her gloved hands, thinking of how risky the only plan she could come up with would be.

Minha headed out the door, trying to downplay the risk of her plan in her mind so she would not back out of it. She wanted to become the most powerful woman in the clan and to do that, she had to get Hayate VIII to mate claim her.

"You're welcome," Chika called after her.

"Oh, thanks," she mumbled without turning back.

Minha left Chika's place and kept walking through the village until she came to the sparring arena. The best place to find Hayate VIII away from his father was here. He often sparred against others here in the evening to the point where it was rare for anyone to watch him and his sparring partner. Minha walked into the arena, seeing it had been revamped for tomorrow's mate choosing ceremony. 'If I succeed, he'll choose me,' she thought hopefully. She would go down in history of the clan forever. Together, they were going to be the best couple to lead the clan in over a century.

At a distance from the stage set up for tomorrow, Hayate VIII was sparring with another person with equally long blonde hair. Minha moved closer and saw the second person was Aiko. The idea of Aiko being here with him of all people angered Minha. Aiko thought she was better than everyone else because of her stocky build, her fighting skills, and she came from a big family.

Minha crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground impatiently, watching the two finish sparring. Hayate had won the spar and was helping Aiko up, pulling her in a little too close to him for Minha's comfort. The two of them stayed still, looking into each others eyes. Minha had enough and cleared her throat loudly. It seemed to send a shock through the couple who looked over and say her standing there. Aiko pulled away from Hayate and shook off his lingering hand on her hand. Hayate scowled at Minha in annoyance.

"I need to talk to you," Minha said with fake confidence as she walked towards them. On the inside, her heart was pounding. She reached Hayate, standing close to him before he took a step back away from here. Minha turned to Aiko and said "alone" as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked Aiko up and down. The woman looked dirty, sweaty, and her hair was disheveled. Her baggy clothes were practically hanging off of her. Minha felt she would rather die than look so gross in front of Hayate of all people.

"Really? Minha," Hayate huffed, clearly not caring about anything she wanted to say.

Aiko rolled her eyes. "You know how she is," she told Hayate. Minha frowned at her for talking about her with her right there. "Just let her say what ever it is so she can feel good about herself and better than everyone else."

"That's rich coming from someone who needs a shower and new, well, newer clothes," Minha countered.

"If you worried more about learning how to fight and less about how you look, maybe you'd find someone willing to mate claim you," Aiko responded.

"Aiko, just go on home, she won't take too long," Hayate sighed. "And she won't want you knowing how much she plead me to give her a new coin for tomorrow."

"Oh, that's right, you couldn't keep your coin safe. It got 'stolen'," Aiko hissed at Minha. Aiko reached into her pocket, pulled out her own square coin, flicked it up into the air, catch at the last second, and put it back into her pocket with a soft pat. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said to Hayate with a warm smile as she began walking away.

"Run along and get cleaned up. I don't want to have to smell you tomorrow," Minha called after her. 'People really think he'll choose her?' she thought. Minha turned back towards Hayate who was watching Aiko walk away with a happy and dazed look of his face. Minha cleared her throat again.

Hayate snapped his attention back to her. "You're not getting another coin," he said evenly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You haven't even heard me out yet," she responded curtly.

"Fine. This should be entertaining," he said, backing up to lean against the nearby wall. "I'd love to see you try to convince me why I should even consider you as a potential mate."

"You gave me a coin once already."

"I gave lots of women a coin, doesn't mean I actually meant you all are potential mates. It's ceremonial. It would look bad if I only gave a coin to the woman I'm actually planning to chose."

Minha bit her tongue to keep from saying anything without thought. Choosing her words carefully. "What' thing, or things, do you need in order carry on your line?" she asked slowly.

He huffed. "Children. At least two to be safe." He sounded rehearsed when he spoke. "Especially with one cousin exiled and another one a weakling child." He rolled his eyes, but also looked rather serious.

Minha took a steadying breath to gather her courage. She brought her hands in front of her chest, palms up. "Then you should choose a woman for your mate who can guarantee you the blessing of having children." He stared at her dumbfounded, moving his back from the wall to stand up straight. "As many as you'd like if that's how you want it worded." He stared at her hands hard. He seemed to hardly be breathing. "Or find a woman I've already given a blessing to so I couldn't possibly bless her to never have a child." She gave him a cruel smile on the outside, but felt sicken with herself to make such a ultimatum to him.

"I could kill you before you get the chance," he said dismissively.

"If I word the blessing right, she would never know it was my doing."

"You would know and you wouldn't be able to lie to my father if he questioned you," he countered. He seemed nervous now.

"How do you know it wasn't my blessing that is the reason he is so nice to me and my brother? Anxious to protect us and keep are abilities secret. After all, the two of us of rather dangerous if in the wrong hands." She was bluffing as she had not blessed Hayate VII, but based on his reaction, he did not know if she did or not. "He might not even remember if I had blessed him to protect us if I worded my blessing right." She took a chance to make it sound more plausible. "He could outright deny it and would believe it true."

"You didn't."

"You can't prove I didn't."

He stared her down. "What if I made you give me the blessing for many children. Based on early events of today, all I need to do is threaten to kill Yasha and I can a blessing out of you."

"You wouldn't go through with it," she struggled to keep her voice from squeaking. "Your father knows he needs to be kept safe as well because of his similar abilities."

"What can he do?" She shrugged. "Tell me."

"Why should I? What's in it for me?"

"What do you want?"

"Choose me tomorrow."

He gave her a hard look. "I'll give you another coin if you tell me." He pulled a small bag out his pocket. Out of the bag, he pulled another square coin out of his bag.

Taking a risk, she shook her head. "Chose me. Or you'll never been guaranteed to have a child with any other woman you chose beside me. You'll never know for sure why your father is so willing to protect me and my brother. And you'll never know what my brother can do. He's not as powerful as me, but just as dangerous." She layered her bluffs in with truths. It was a big gamble to threaten him like this. It would make him decide whether or not he chose her to be his mate tomorrow, but she felt like it was the last chance she would get to convince him to chose her based on her current situation, so she took it. "I'm your best choice."

To her surprise, he barked a laugh. "You're almost as bad as your father." She scowled at him in response. "Your arrogance gets in the way of your high ambitions. I don't event think my exiled cousin Ichiro would have been mad enough to take your offer." He sighed and stretched his arms over his head. "I didn't even want to give you a coin. My father insisted all noble girls old enough for me got one." He put the square coin back in his pocket. He began to walk towards her, with the intention to walk passed her, but she stopped him.

Quick and slick as she could, she had one glove off and both hands gripping tightly to his forearm. He froze mid step in response, looking down at her, clearly afraid. "What's the matter? Do I scare you?" she asked quietly. She held tight on her grip on his arm, desperately willing him to give her a coin and a promise to chose her tomorrow.

In a nonverbal response, he kicked at her shins painfully. She cried out in surprise and pain. Inadvertently, she dropped her grip on his arm. She made to back away from him, but he moved too quickly for her. Before she could react, he had her arm with the bare hand twisted painfully behind her back. She cried out again. He pulled her closer to himself, pinning her arm between her back and his torso and brought his other arm around her neck. His hand around her arm behind her back squeezed with a vice like grip. She struggled feebly against him, panicking at his sudden display of strength. "Look whose scared now? I've hardly moved and for all your threats, you can't even back them up with ability to fight me off." He tightened his holds against her and then shoved forward and down to the ground. She looked up at him incredulously. "I want a fighter for a mate. Clearly you'll never be one."


	4. Chapter 4

Hayate VIII went home after his meeting with Minha and told his father what she said, emphasizing how ridiculous her offer was. He told his father everything and would have done so willingly whether the Gunju could never be lied to or not. His listened quietly while Hayate VIII spoke.

"... and she couldn't even fight back against me or try," he finished with a hearty laugh. "Jiro could probably take her."

Hayate VII, having stayed silent throughout the conversation, finally spoke. "She's given you a guarantee though. I've seen her blessings at work, dangerous though they may be. It is rather unnerving," he hummed. "It wouldn't surprise me that she could bless me or anyone else without their knowledge."

"What about her brother? What can he do?" Hayate VIII asked curiously. He really wanted to know and did not like how Minha was halted from telling him earlier. He also was getting annoyed that his father had not agreed that Minha's offer was as ridiculous as it sounded to himself.

"That's not my place to tell you. Only he should tell you that," Hayate VII said with finality.

Hayate VIII grumbled. "But you protect them. And I'm sure I'm going to have to protect them when your gone as well." He wrinkled his nose at the idea of having to protect such a haughty woman.

Hayate VII spoke his next words so softly, Hayate VIII gave a delayed reaction. "She'd be safest as your mate."

After comprehending his father's words, Hayate VIII gave off to him. "What?! No! I would never chose her! She's useless! She can't fight! Aiko is my best choice. She's from a big family and she can hold her own in a fight. She's not afraid to get hurt and moves well on her feet."

"You say that as if it is true, but I think your love for Aiko is clouding your judgement."

Hayate VIII frowned. "That's beside the point."

"You'll be leading this clan one day and you need a mate who can give the children who will lead after you. The clan still has not recovered from the plague that struck us two generations ago and the royal line has come down to a trickle with just you and Jiro left. If your older brother had survived the illness that killed both him and your mother when you two were children, I would say it would be safe for you to make a selfish choice. Or even if Ichiro hadn't gone insane and abused his former lover, he could have stayed with us and been your heir until you had children. If he were still here, I would consider Minha the better match for him. She'd get close enough to her ambition to satisfy her and he could take the blessing in your place. Jiro is too young for matehood now and sickly enough that he might not survive to adulthood. By the time he is old enough to take a mate, she'll be too old for him."

"What are you saying?" He did not want to hear the answer.

"Our clan could not survive without leadership and would fall back into chaos the way it did nine generations ago with our Cousins War. After you and Jiro, there is no way to predict who would get clan leadership. It could even be risky enough for it to fall to someone in exile. You can't risk that just because you want to mate claim the woman you're in love with. You may not like her, but Minha's blessing would be a guarantee that you need to protect the clan from falling apart. I've seen that girl bless a barren woman with another child. I've also seen her bless her father to be an influential council member. Her blessings work."

"Can't I just threaten her to do it like that bandit did?"

"You could. But that would increase Jiro's chances of being named my heir in response."

Hayate VIII crossed him arms over his chest, feeling unsure now what choice he would make tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

Minha went to see Yasha in the morning to see if he was better. She assumed he was, but would probably be faking worse than he was so he could get some alone time with Chika coddling him. Since their mother had died, Chika had been trying to fill that gap, citing that as her reason to take Minha on an apprentice healer. Both Minha and Yasha loved how much she dotted on them.

Minha walked into the Chika's building. She stood outside the door to Yasha's room and overheard him laying it on a bit thick with Chika about the 'two' battles he bravely fought when he and Minha were on the outside. When she went to open the door, she thought she heard a voice call her name. She turned her head both directions of the hallway, feeling puzzled.

"Minha," she heard the voice again, this time coming from the hallway down the right where a corner turned to the left. Cautiously, she moved the hallway and peeked around the corner. There stood Hayate VIII's exhausted looking form.

"What do you want?" she pouted, recalling his bullying from the last night. She had not expected to seem him after he turned down her last ditch effort to convince he mate claim her. She assumed he would never chose her now after threatening him. He jerked his head over towards an open door. "You going to attack me for fun?" she sneered, not caring anymore to be try to be sweet on him.

He gave a half yawn, half sigh. "I'm sorry about that," he mumbled. It took her a second to comprehend what he had said.

"You better be," she quipped. "That really hurt and was totally unnecessary. "

He gave a wordless grumble. "That's not what I want to talk to you about. Come on," he jerked his head towards the open door again.

She rolled her eyes. "You lay another hand on me, and I'll tell the whole council about it. They wouldn't be surprised as you've always had a reputation of being a brute." She brushed passed him and down the hall and into the room next to the one he indicated. She sat on the bed in there, back straight as a board, left leg crossed over her right, and hands resting over her left knee. "I'm waiting," she said smugly.

He tensed up his shoulders and would not meet her eyes. He shut the door softly behind him. "I have another offer to make you, something I think will make both of us... content." She tilted her head as she looked at him, curious as to what he was going to say. He pulled out a square coin from his pocket, holding in his open palm out in front of him.

She brought her hands down to the bed, gripping tightly. She had given up hoping for another coin last night. Now he was offering her one again. "Do you mean to taunt me so more?" she hissed. "Because I am not amused."

"You get this coin and... me as a mate-"

"Yes!" she shouted, unable to believe her luck. She jumped down from the bed and rushing over to him. She went to snatch the coin from his hand, but at the last second he raise his hand above his head, way out of her reach. She kicked meekly at his shins in response. "Do you get off on stuff like this?"

"Let me finish," he snapped. Continuing, he said "you get this coin and me as a mate under several conditions. First, you give that blessing here and now with me choosing the exact words you say. Second, you tell me what your brother can do. Third, you will bless or curse anyone I ask you to for whatever reason I want. Fourth, you tell no one of our agreement here. I'm planning to chose you over someone better suited for me."

She gaped at him. She was willing to make each promise expect for one. She looked down at the ground. "I can't betray my brother like that," she whimpered. She wanted to say yes so badly if it were not for that clause. The power she wanted was standing before her, but at too high of a cost.

"Then you can't be my mate," he countered. She could practically hear a smirk in his voice. He started to turn back towards the door.

She felt her body shaking with anger, wondering if he purposefully made the price of getting him to mate claim too high so he could say she turned down his offer. "Wait," she rushed out while keeping her head downcast. "I'll give you the blessing after you mate claimed me."

"I'll agree to that. Tell me what your brother can do first," he order.

'Yasha, forgive me,' she thought. "He can make someone do anything he wants," she said honestly and quickly so she would not stop herself from finishing her sentence.

She felt his hand come under her chin, forcing her head up to face him. She forced herself to open her eyes and look into his. He looked like he had not slept last night. His eyes had a miserable look to them. "How?"

"I'll tell you after you claim me. If I'm telling you the truth now," she said as steadily as she could.

His gripped on her chin tightened harshly. "Are you lying now?"

"If you don't mate claim me, then you never know," she countered.

"You think you're so clever," he said, giving her chin a rough shake before letting it go.

He threw the square coin down at her feet. It bounced on the ground, seemingly clanging louder than natural. She backed up a few steps, bent down, and picked it up. She brought it up to her face and examined it carefully. It was exactly like the other coin he had given her. The one the bandit had stolen. She clutched it tightly in her hands and held them together against her chest.

"If you lose that one or if you're late to the choosing ceremony, then there goes you chance to be my mate after all."

"You'll see me there," she answered determinedly.


	6. Chapter 6

Hayate VIII walked with his father and the ten council members, Hiroto included, towards the sparring arena that had been redecorated for the mate choosing ceremony. He had yet to tell his father he was going to chose Minha. The idea of admitting it and the deal he made with her were shameful. Neither of of their actions were honorable.

When they were at the main entrance to the arena, one of the guards on duty came running up towards them. She looked liked she had been in an awful fight. "Gunju! There's been an attack!" she shouted.

Hayate VII rounded on her. "Miku? What? Where? When?"

"A man, I think, with wrappings around his face. East gate. Fifteen minutes ago. Commander Ran had been with us when the attack happened. She and I and Wakana and fought with him, but-" she stopped, shaking her head. "When Wakana was killed, Commander Ran told me to run. She's fighting him all by herself."

"Take me there. Now," Hayate VII ordered her. She nodded, turned around, and began running back towards the east gate.

"I'll go with you," Hayate VIII, following them, no longer caring about choosing a mate when the clan was at risk.

"No," Hayate VII rounded on him. "You need to make your choice of mate today." He hesitated and then pulled his son in for a quick embrace. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Akira," he said to the oldest council member with them. "I want you with me as well," he requested.

"Yes sir," he responded.

"Right, Miku, Akira, let's go," he ordered. Miku led the way with Hayate VII and Akira took off after her.

Hayate VIII watched them go. He turned to the council member he trusted the most, Mai. She had only been on the council a few months. She was only a year older than he was, but her mate was twelve years old than she was. He helped guide her at first, but now she making decisions on her own. She inherited her position on the council when her father, a former council member, had passed away a few months back. "Until he gets back, would you take my father's place today?" he asked her.

She nodded demurely. "It would be my pleasure," she responded.

"Now wait just a minute," Hayate VIII heard Hiroto snap behind him. "She's only been on the council for a few months. Shouldn't someone with the most experience take your father's place?"

Hayate VIII turned to look at Hiroto. He could not stand him on an ordinary day, and especially now could not stand him with Minha becoming his choice of mate. "And who would that be? You?" he sneered, trying to ignore the feeling that he would be a better choice then Mai after all. "Mai's my choice to take my father's place while he is out defending our clan. Get over it." He looked around to the other council members. "Let's go," he said, leading the way towards the center of the arena. Most the clan was already there in the stands, waiting for ceremony to begin.

Once there, the council took their seats at the chairs set out for them on a side stage near the main stage. Mai sat in the bigger, center chair, four other council members sat on her left, and five on her right. The last chair on the left remained unoccupied. Hayate VIII took his place standing before the main stage's steps. The stage would be where his five potential mates would stand and wait to see which one of them would be chosen. He waited impatiently for each of them to show up. They had ten minutes after he arrived to give him their coin and be on stage or they were disqualified. Minha arrived first, in a fashionable kimono, much to everyone else's surprise, giving him her coin with a smug smile. Aiko arrived behind her, looking annoyed to see Minha there, but happy to see Hayate VIII. She gave him a knowing smile when she handed him her coin. The other women, Rio, Tomomi, and Hoshi, arrived not long after Aiko, making it time for him to decide.

Hayate VIII looked the women over, wishing his father was here and worried about the stranger he was fighting against. He took a deep breath and made his memorized speech loudly. "Thank you all for coming here today..." he began, trying to keep his voice loud enough and steady enough. It was the same speech every future Gunju had used when he chose his or her mate for generations. Only a few times had the speech or even the choosing ceremony had not been used; the plague two generations back, during the Cousins War, and when a brother had unexpectedly inherited the title after he had taken a mate. His long, memorized speech continued, as he managed not to falter over the words about courage, honor, pride, glory, and all the things that made their clan great. The crowd roared as they cheered him on. He paused again, turning to face the five women standing before him, not meeting any of them in the eyes. Minha looked confident and smug and Aiko looked confident and hopeful. Hayate VIII did not even bother looking at the other three women. He closed his eyes as he finished his speech "...and with the knowledge that one day I will be Gunju, as the current Doje, I must chose a mate that I believe will be best suited to be my mate in this life and help me lead one day." He approached the women, coming to stand right between Aiko and Minha. Both looked up him expectantly. Two very different women wearing the same facial expression. He looked over to where the council sat, wishing his father had been sitting in Mai's place. He should have been there, but with a threat to the clan outside the east gate, he was doing his duty to protect the clan. Hayate must have paused too long, as Mai nodded at him encouragingly.

The temptation to make the selfish choice was almost to much as he dropped to one knee in front of both women, pulling out the ring from his pocket that she would wear to show he chose her. He raised his head up, raised the ring up, and looked to the woman on the left and spoke "Minha, I promise to love, honor, and protect you if you give me your mind, heart, and body. Will you be my mate?" He made one last feeble prayer that she would change her mind and refuse him so he could ask Aiko next. There would be less shame in that surely.

"Yes!" Minha said giddily, snatching the ring up and slipping it quickly onto her left ring finger, examining it in her triumph. Her voice echoed through the stunned, silent struck arena. She smiled down at his kneeling form, pulling at his hands to get him to stand.

He stood up rather unwillingly, looking back over towards the council, wishing again his father was there. Hiroto seemed beside himself with pride that Minha had been chosen. The rest of the council members looked shocked. Mai had stood up, stunned by his choice. Scanning a few faces in the crowd, he saw surprise on each adult's face. He looked next to at the three other women he had not chosen. They seemed surprised and disappointed. Regrettably, his gaze next fell on Aiko, who looked so upset. When their eyes met, she gave a wounded sounding cry, turned away from him and she sprinted away from him, the stage, and away from the eyes of everyone there. He watched her run off, almost overcome with the desire to run after her. He felt Minha's small hands tighten around his as she gave a soft peel of laughter. He turned back to her, anger welling up in him that she had laughed at Aiko. He kept his face placid, but shifted his hand on her left hand and gave the ring around her ring finger a harsh squeeze. He felt her jump against the pain. His own fingers stung a bit at his action.

Next, he brought his right hand under her chin, lifted her face up and brought his mouth almost against hers. "She'll be the first one you bless for me," he breathed loud enough for only her to hear. He kissed her as briefly as possible and pulled away from her as far possible while still holding onto her hand. She gave him a defiant look.


	7. Chapter 7

The ceremony continued with a celebration throughout the clan, but it was clearly subdued. Everyone was still seemed taken a back that Hayate VIII had chosen Minha for his mate. Hayate VII and the other fighters had been gone for over an hour and there were no reports from the east gate, or any of the gate as to his, his soldiers, or the enemy's whereabouts. The dinner for the celebration had been served in the castle, with Minha sitting next Hayate VIII during it. He felt so angry and distraught that is was not Aiko next him. What made it worse was how Minha basked in the attention everyone gave her. Her father gloated. Her brother gloated a little less. Even Chika seemed to gloat a bit. He tried not to stare at Yasha's hands while they had talked. He kept watching the entrance to the great hall, hoping to see his father walk in.

When the meal was over, Hayate VIII pulled Minha unceremoniously up by the hand and lead her by the hand out of the great hall. It was still early in the evening, but he just wanted to get the mate claiming over with. He heard a few cat calls coming from the guest who were there, Yasha included. He ignored them, moving faster out of the room. Minha had to run to keep up with him.

When they reached the main staircase, Minha slipped her hand from his grip. "Will you slow down," she hissed at him. She halted at the bottom step, hands on her hips.

"Can't keep up?" he responded as he kept going up the stairs, not caring if she kept up anymore; not caring who witnessed their spat on the stairs. He heard her huff and start running up the stairs behind him. He moved faster in response, leaving her behind easily. He went to the bedroom on the eighth floor where he would be expected to mate claim her.

He paced the room, waiting impatiently for her to enter the room, wishing against hope she would change her mind, give him the ring back, and he could go find Aiko, explain everything, and claim her instead. He went the window, hoping he would see his father returning, but there were only two milling guests who looked liked Yasha and Kohaku. The two of them seemed to share some sort of embrace, with Yasha pushing up against Kohaku who leaned against a tree. Hayate could not make out exactly what they were doing because of the tree branches and their leaves, but he was curious. He watched the two of them to distract himself from his own misery until he heard Minha come through the door. She entered, shutting the heavy door as hard as she could.

"How dare you leave me behind," she rounded at him.

He turned away from the window and walked up to her in a few short strides. Much to his surprise, she did not shrink away from him. Instead, she raised herself as tall as her short stature would allow, showing him she was not afraid of him. He wished she would have at least looked intimidated. "I don't want you," he said harshly. "I was already to chose Aiko before you intervened. So now, if you want to back out at anytime, I won't stop you. I'd welcome it."

She gave him a brave smirk and pulled at the back of her kimono, somehow managing to untie her obi by herself. He was grudgingly impressed with her nimble hands, especially when she wore gloves almost all the time. She took off her kimono in a nonverbal response. He could not help but look her uncovered torso over, eyes lingering on her breasts. They were small, but perky underneath her fashionable bra. Her waist and hips were narrow, but had their own tone to them, hinting at the lean muscles beneath her skin. Her stomach was flat, smooth looking. Her rib cage was noticeable, but not in a sickly looking way. She had not even bothered covering herself up before him. Instead, she stared up at him with a challenging look in her eyes.

He reached down and pulled her right hand up to him, pulling off the glove over it. He took her left hand in hand next, starting to pull it off as well. "Don't. I could bless you by accident," she warned, backing away from him and pulling her hands against her chest.

"In that case," he said, holding his hand out to her, "give me the blessing you promised me now."

"The deal was I do it after," she retorted.

"You do it now or I say you refused me. That you were too scared."

She gave a huff, pulling off her remaining glove and her ring, putting into the glove for safe keeping. "Once I touch you, anything I say could become a blessing. You're picking the words right? Don't mess them up." She held her hands out to him, palms together and facing upward.

Trustingly, he placed his hand in her hand. Her hands were steady compared to his shaky one. She was not frightened in the least, even though she knew what mate claiming entailed. "Repeat after me," he instructed. She nodded once. "I bless you..."

"I bless you," she spoke clearly.

"...to have..."

"... to have..."

"...six children."

Her eyes went wide at the number. "...six children," she finished confidently. As soon as she finished saying the last word, he pulled his hand out of her soft grip so she could not add anymore to the blessing. "It's done," she told him. "Now, are you going to keep your word like I kept mine?" She flipped her hair off her right shoulder and pulled it all around her left shoulder. She exposed the right side of her neck to him.

"How does your brother make people do what he wants?" Hayate asked, trying not to get distracted by her body.

She shook her head. "After," she breathed, stepping closer to him. She reached over to the bottom of his shirt and slid her hands underneath them, touching his stomach and sides so softly, it made him shiver. She was attractive, he'd give her that.

"Now," he hissed, tempted to stay her hands, but decided against it. It felt too good to stop her.

"Now you should make your claim," she whispered, moving her hands to his back, rubbing against his lower back. "Try to be gentle," she requested.

He groaned, annoyed with her. He backed away so she could not touch him anymore. She made to follow him, but stopped when he pulled off his own shirt. She gave a desirous sigh as she looked him over. He reached his hand out, pulled her in to him by her waist until she was pressed against him. His hand stroked the right side of her neck. She sighed against his touch.

"You can either tell what your brother does or you can get out," he spoke. She groaned and punched his chest with both of her small fists. "You can turn me away if you want." If either of them was going to back out of this, it was going to be her.

She took a shaky breath. "He touches someone with his bare hands and gives them an order," she gave in.

"Is that all he can do?" he asked curiously. She nodded. He mulled over anything else he could ask her, trying to think of another way to stall until she gave up. She did not seem like she would do so. "You know this is going to hurt. A lot. Especially if I lose control and instinct takes over. I could kill you."

She looked up at him, clearly unafraid. "You do that and you'll never be Gunju. Your father wouldn't let a mate killer rule after him."

He gave a growl, trying to intimidate her, but it did not work. She knew what was going to happen, yet she was determined to go through with it. Three bites on her neck, chest, and mound to symbolize claiming her mind, heart, and body. And then he would have sex with her, sealing the claim permanently. The idea of the pain alone he would have to inflict on her in the process should have scared such a weak looking person like herself, yet she did not seem scared in the least bit. Her hands began to roam again along his torso and she began kissing his chest. Wanting to take back control of the situation, he pulled her hair sharply to make her head crane to the left. He brought his mouth down to her neck and bit down deeply where his mouth landed; an inch and a half above her collar bone. Her body tensed up and she screamed against the pain. He kept his mouth there, drinking purposefully from the wound. She tasted good; sweeter and clearer than expected. He bit down harder, as deep as his canine tooth would go and dragged down across her skin. It would make for an interesting scar if she survived. He pulled her shaking form in closer. Surprisingly, she resisted pushing him away. He kept drinking, half enthralled by the taste of her blood, half waiting for her to give in and beg him to stop. He kept drinking until an awful thought crossed his mind; if he just kept drinking, he could kill her. He already had her blessing, there was nothing to stop him from finding Aiko and they could share Minha's blessing instead. After that thought, he recalled he had promised Minha he would protect her at the mate choosing ceremony. If he killed her after swearing that, especially in public, his honor would be tainted forever. Whether he wanted her as his mate or not, he had promised her. Now he had to protect her from himself.

He would have to resist biting too deeply and drinking too long on the next two bite. He forced himself to shove her away. She moved back willingly enough. Her hand went to her neck protectively, healing the bad bite enough to only stop the bleeding. She held up her now bloodied hand to him, assuming he would want it. At the sight and smell of her blood on her hand, he moved towards her, bringing his mouth to her hand. She pulled her hand down, and he dropped to his knees before her to follow it. His instincts were taking over, screaming at him to finish the claim. He wanted her whether he wanted her or not. It did not make sense in his mind. "Don't bite so deeply on the next one," she panted out the order.

He shook his head away from her now clean hand. He pulled at the back of her bra, trying desperately to find the clasp. She giggled at him and brought her hands to the front of her bra, unhooking the clasp from there. She slipped it off easily, letting it drop to the ground at her feet. Since he could not reach her chest while being on his knees, he stood up, picked her up underneath her arms, and carried her over to the bed. He dropped her down on to her back.

"Gentle," she chided him, hands held up. "Not as deep as the last one."

He felt like he could not wait anymore. Pushing passed her hands, he bit down again where his mouth landed, at the top of her right breast. She pulled his hair hard, screaming again against the pain of the bite. Despite the screaming, she still did not fight him as he bit and drank from her. She should have resisted even a little bit. His body trembled as he tore himself away from her. She let his hair go and brought her left hand to the bite mark, covering it and healing it enough to stay the bleeding. He pulled her hand up to his mouth, licking it clean.

"One more," she told him. It took him a second to comprehend her words. She ran her fingers through his hair, making him moan as she scratched gently along his scalp. "That was better. Brutish, but better." She brought her hand down between them, pushing against her panties enough to shove them down to her thighs as best she could with him on top of her. "Make the final bite," she told him, even though she looked pale and was sweating coldly. "I'm ready."

He felt ready to yell at her for taking control of the situation. He was in charge, damn it. He was the one making the claim. He should decide when he bit her. He brought his mouth down to her mound, wanting to bite somewhere so badly while wanting to resist it long enough to make her beg him to do it. Her hands came back into his hair, dancing her fingers pleasantly along his scalp. He groaned at the feeling of arousal growing within him. He had not realized his bit her until he heard her scream. His mouth had landed on the right side, where her hair began to grow. This wound's blood tasted better than the other two wounds combined. Her body was shaking and her hands pulled at his hair, but other than that, she would not let herself resist him. He brought his hands to her hips and pushed himself off of her from there. Her hands let go his hair and she healed the bite with her own hand enough to end the bleeding.

He wrapped his hands around her wrists roughly, making her gasp in surprise. "Why wouldn't you fight me off?" he asked, barely keeping his voice from a roar. He brought the hand with blood on it back again to his mouth, cleaning it off.

She stared him in the eyes until he looked away first. "Because you're acting on your instincts. If I struggled, it might have made you drink more as an act of dominance. Now finish the claim."

His hands shook free of his grip on her wrists. He sat up and they both pulled at his pants, with her being the one who unzipped and unbuttoned them. They pulled them down along with his boxers together. He smacked her hands away, annoyed with her. She brought her hands up to her chest in shock. He slipped the rest of his clothing off by himself. He was hard and more than ready to fuck her. While he could not stand her personality, after biting her, drinking from her, and seeing her naked, he felt overwhelmed with desire for her. He pulled her panties off completely and then used his hand to keep her legs spread wide. He brought his cock up against her, warning her "this is your last chance to change your mind." He doubted he would be able to stop now even if she she finally changed her mind. He ached to just take her, knowing if he started he would not stop until he finished.

She laid her head back on the bed and looked up at him defiantly. "I'm ready," she said steadily.

"Why aren't you afraid?" he hissed, not understanding her.

"You don't scare me," she responded bravely.

With a wordless growl, he thrusted himself inside of her, making her scream for a fourth time at the necessary pain he inflicted on her. She felt amazingly tight around him. He went as slow and as gentle as he could make himself do for the dozen thrusts he needed before he could cum. The feeling was overwhelming, making he shout out in reaction. When he came down from the feeling, he found himself out of her, panting over her still form. She looked paler than usual, but she was clearly awake and alive beneath him. She had survived his mate claim and now he was stuck with her for the rest of his life. The idea of it being Minha and not Aiko sickened him to the point where his stomach actually hurt. He groaned, bringing a hand to the aching place in his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Minha asked, bringing a gentle hand up to his own hand around his stomach. She looked genuinely concerned about his welfare.

"Don't touch me," he grumbled. He got off of her and then the bed. He grabbed his own pants and boxers, and hurriedly put them back on.

"Hayate," she said softly. He glanced back at her. She was laying on her side, half wrapped up in the blanket. "Where are you going?" She looked physically weak, but alert.

"To find my father," he told her the first excuse that came to his mind that he could use to leave the room. He headed towards the door.

"Come back here," she bid him.

He hesitated at first, feeling the pain in his stomach again, but steeled his resolve and unlocked the door.

He heard her move on the bed. He looked back at her. Her breathing was suddenly oddly shallow and she was now sitting up. "I said get back here..." she bid him again. At the last word she spoke, she fell face forward back down to the bed.

"Minha?" he questioned her, annoyed with himself that he rushed back over to her out of concern. He sat down on the bed and pulled her head onto his lap. Her breathing was regular again. "Minha?" he repeated. He checked her neck for her pulse, finding it. It beat fast and strong. She nuzzled against his lap, stifling a soft giggle against his thigh. He seriously wondered if she had tricked him into coming back to bed with her.

"Light a fire in the fire place. I'm cold," she told him.


	8. Chapter 8

Hayate VII and Akira ran behind Miku as fast as the three of them could go. Through the east gate and beyond it. In about five minutes of running, they found Wakana's body. Hayate VII stopped to examine it in case she was still alive, but from the cold feeling of her skin, he knew she was gone.

"He'll pay for this," he vowed.

They continued running, trying to find Commander Ran and the fighter she was battling. They reached the outskirts of a valley in time to witness a mysterious figure with his face covered in bandages and paper wards. Even though she was the strongest fighter in the clan since last year's tournament, Ran seemed to be struggling in fight with him, backing away from the fighter as he threw red energy blasts at her from his fists. Ran kept trying to send her own attacks at him, a sniper rifle conjured from her own wind demon abilities, but he kept his attacks moving so fast that she could send out her own blasts. One of the fighter's blasts hit her square in the chest, throwing her several feet through the air. She landed hard on the ground, struggling to sit up.

"Ran!" Hayate VII called out, summoning up his trade mark cross bow from his own energy. He took steady aim on the fighter who had stopped advancing on Ran and turned to face Hayate. Hayate let three arrows in succession fly, heading straight towards the fighter.

The fighter's first move was to slice his hand through the air, creating several yellow arched lines through it and then sent them flying towards Ran. After that, he launched himself up into the air, doing a graceful back flip while dodging Hayate's arrows with ease.

"Ran! Move!" Hayate shouted at her. She tried, but could not move fast enough and the yellow arched lines hit her like a razor sharp spider web, cutting her down and killing her quickly. "No!" Hayate shouted, charging towards the fighter in a reckless rage.

The fighter cast another web that Hayate rolled to tried to avoid, but it ended up surrounded by it. It did not touch him, but rather surrounded him from all side like a cage. Hayate drew his sword, trying to slice through it. The sword ended up shattering against it.

"Is this your leader?" the fighter asked in low, electronic sounding voice; pointing at Miku.

Miku squared herself up for a fight. Akira nearby her did the same. Miku challenged "and what if it is?"

"I hope so. I should think he would have been honorable enough to be one of the first in battle," the fighter said with a frightening tone. He run towards the pair with incredible speed. All Hayate could do was watch in horror as he cut both of them down quickly. He turned back to face Hayate, laughing darkly.

"I'll kill you," Hayate growled back at him from behind the yellow arches. He was itching to be free of the make shift cage and attack.

The fighter sauntered up to him, asking tauntingly. "You look like a bird locked in a cage." He moved his right hand in the air, twisting his wrists and curling his fingers.

Hayate flinched at first, assuming the net was going to shrink on him. Instead it disappeared. He charged at the fighter, trying to strike him down. He ran after him, but the fighter dodged him easily, arms held patiently behind his back. The fighter must have grown bored, because he flipped in the air over Hayate and struck him in the back with a red energy blast. The first blast knocked the wind out of him, the next one sent him to his knees, and the final one sent him onto his stomach onto the ground. The fighter moved too fast for him to give any reaction, let alone fight back. The fighter kicked him mercilessly all over while he curled up and covered his head with his hands. When the fighter finally stopped, Hayate rolled part way onto his back with a painful groan. It was difficult to breath and his left side hurt fiercely. The fighter picked him up by one of his braids, holding most of his body off the ground. He swung him around, sending him flying through the air and right into a boulder. He must have blacked out for at least a few moments, possibly longer, because the next thing he knew was he was laying on his back on the ground amid rubble. The fighter was leaning over him, holding the hilt of his broken sword facing downward, the remaining part of the blade a hair's breath away from his neck. Mukuro had his hair pulled sharply up to help expose his neck all the more.

"Who are you?" Hayate managed to choke out, silently hoping that the fighter would be compelled to speak honestly just like all the members of the Hayato clan and other outsiders are. It was the inherited trait passed down from gunju to gunju in order to prove who would be the next clan leader.

"Mukuro," the fighter said, sounding shocked at his own admission.

Hayate felt genuine fear bubble up inside of him for the first time in a long time. He had heard of Mukuro, as well as Yomi and Raizen. The three rival kings trying to take over the Demon World. Bar taking in refugees like Minha and Yasha's great grandmother, the Hayato clan had purposefully avoided being a part of the rivalry. They were one of several small pockets territories in the Demon World claiming neutrality in the rivalry. "We're not part of your fight," Hayate said. Mukuro gave him a sardonic laugh. "What do you want? Are you with one of those demons who attack two of my people yesterday?"

"Ha, no. What demons? I was actually thinking..." he began as he rested the broken sword blade underneath his voice box. "Expansion. Yomi's been taking over one too many neutral territories near his land. I'm not letting a clan of warriors close by my territory slip into his grasp. Especially one so trustfully open to taking in refugees. Didn't your clan adopted the bastard of the demon royal family after Raizen killed all the rest of royal family? I wonder if she had any children?"

Hayate looked up at him in shock, trying not to think about Minha or Yasha. He was unsure how Mukuro knew so much about the clan; be it from telepathy, spying, or another way. He did not raise to level of Demon King just by sheer luck. His mind landed on his son. He wondered how the ceremony went and who he chose. To avoid thinking about Minha, he thought about Aiko. "That's none of your business murderer. And we're not joining your territory."

"Whose going to stop me? Those four warriors of yours? You?" He shifted the broken blade down and pressed it sharply into the place between underneath his collar bones. Hayate groaned against the pain. "If that was your neck, you'd be choking on your own blood by now." The blade was driven deeper, making Hayate groan again and tremble. "You've got two options at this point Gunju." He flinched at the use of his title. "You surrender your territory to me, send me a hostage to keep you in check, and I let you and all your little flock live. Or, you tell me no, and I kill you like I killed your commander and those three other warriors, and then I go knock down a few walls, and slaughter the lot of them to keep Yomi from gaining you as allies."

"Never," Hayate hissed and drew a relieved breath as the blade came out of his chest. His breath stopped short as the blade came back to his neck.

"Can your whole clan fight me off? Because your strongest warrior, what was her name? Ran? Couldn't."

"You wouldn't."

"Resist and you die. And they all die."

He could not let Mukuro kill the clan. Not everyone was a fighter, especially when it comes to the children and the other innocents. It would break the Great Hawk Spirit's heart at the very least. "We surrender," he capitulated.

"Ha," Mukuro barked a laugh. "That was easier than I thought. I'll be back in four weeks time. That should give me plenty of time to draft up our treaty and you to pick a hostage for me to take. But for now, we'll do a blood bond treaty to hold us both to our word. You value honor right? After courage?" He took the broken sword blade up and slice it across his right palm. He pressed it down against the wound on Hayate's chest, reciting the incantation to make the blood bond treaty take hold. Now if either of them broke their word after the blood bond, or else they would die. The incantation became a guarantee of surrender and a deal to meet again in four weeks to draft the formal treaty.

Hayate tensed up, trying to struggle against the bond as its enchantment was sealed. "You're the one without honor," he countered.

Mukuro removed the blade from his neck. "All the better to hold each other to our word. But if you or any of your clan rebel against me before the formal treaty is signed, I'll kill you all," he replied evenly, giving Hayate's hair a sharp enough tug to make him wince. "I'll see you soon." The last thing Hayate remember was a punch to his throat that caused him to choke and pass out.


	9. Chapter 9

A pounding came on the bedroom door. "Make them go away," Minha murmured, waking up to see the dark sky through the window. Her neck and groin area hurt the most still, making her wince. She cuddled closer to Hayate's sleeping form.

"Sh," Hayate grumble, waking up from his own sleep.

"You're supposed to be awake in case I get sick or something," she whined at him. The pounding knock came on the door again. "Make them leave."

"For goodness sake," he growled, feeling extremely annoyed with her and the sound on the door. He jumped out of the bed. "And you're fine by the way. I doubt I took more than a cup's worth from you. And you healed yourself immediately after each bite."

Before the person could knock again, he yanked the door open. "What?" he asked gruffly to the woman at the door. He blinked for a few seconds before he realized it was Mai. "Mai?"

"I'm know it's so late it's early, but your father's back-" Mai began.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"Is he alright?" Minha asked, tucking herself underneath his arm. She had his shirt on nothing else. It covered her short form modestly enough.

Mai looked at Minha curiously for a second before answering. "He was severely injured, but some scouts went out looking for him and found him unconscious in a pile of rubble. He's been healed at already. He's called an emergency council meeting. He wants you two there if you can manage to not lose control with men around her."

"I'll be fine," he guaranteed. "Give us a few minutes please," he responded. Mai nodded and he shut the door. He rounded on Minha. "You're my mate now, the Dojeneun. Time for your first council meeting. Get your kimono back on. And this time don't fake weak. Hurry." He pulled his shirt off of her gruffly. He hurried himself to get dressed while leaving Minha to tend to herself. He heard her clear her throat. She was holding her obi out in a nonverbal way to ask him to tie it for her. He took it and did so. She winced when he pulled too tight. "Sorry," he apologized without meaning to. He struggled to tie it the first time, undid it, and retied it again, hoping it was done right.

She glanced behind herself, and shrugged. "Good enough." She put her gloved hand in his. "Come on," she said, tugging at him.

Annoyed with her, he led the way out the door and towards the council room. He thought at first it was odd that they came across any men at first, but then realized it was because he might attack them if they got near Minha. Freshly mated men tend to do that as they instinctively saw other men as a threat to their mate. She was struggling to keep up him like she last evening. Instead of leaving her behind, he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder.

"Could you at least carry me like a normal person?" she whined. He ignored her and kept walking fast. "Brute," she mumbled as she relaxed in his hold. It was not worth the fight.

When the reached the council room, Mai stood in front of the door. Hayate put Minha down. "Gently," she cautioned. Once on the ground, she brought her hand to his, squeezing gently. He resented her touching him so openly.

"Now before you go in there, you need to know other men are in here, but all of them are mated and none of them want to hurt her," Mai warned him. She held up a span of rope. "Your hands need tied in case you try to attack anyone. It's a precaution." Hayate nodded, holding his hands out in front of him. Mai made to tie the rope around them, but Minha took the rope from Mai's hands.

"Don't touch him," she hissed instinctively, surprising herself by her reaction. The last thing she wanted was for another woman to touch him, mate or no mate. Mai stepped away slowly from the pair with her hands raised up to her shoulders. She began wrapping the rope around his hands to tie them together. She did not like it. It could hurt him and it made him more vulnerable. She was nervous he would not be able to defend himself or herself if needed.

"Did she bite you too?" Mai asked, confused.

"I am right here," Minha snapped at her. "And no, I didn't." To Hayate she asked "is that okay? Not too tight?" She reached a tentative up to his face, stroking it softly.

"It's fine," he quipped. He nodded towards the door. Mai led the way in, followed by Hayate VIII, followed my Minha holding tightly to his arm. At the near side of the table, sat all the women on the council. At the far end of the table were all the males in the council, including his father and her father. At the sight of the men, Hayate VIII tensed, pulling Minha behind him as best he could. "Stay away from her," he warned the men who had done nothing by sit there to provoke them. He wanted to attack them for being so close to her. Kill them if necessary. His instinct to protect his mate were going crazy. He pulled at the rope around his wrists.

"No no no," Minha spoke softly to him. She came around to the front of him, putting a steady hand on his two bond hands. "They don't want to hurt me. I'm safe. Look at me, I'm safe." She brought her other hand to his face, stroking it gently in an effort to keep him calm. Part of him wanted to resist her touch and the other part found it oddly smoothing. She had learned from other women that a new mate should be kept calm to keep him from being violent in an effort to seemingly protect his mate. Soft words and soft, innocent touches. It seemed to be working with Hayate VIII quite well.

"She's right," Hayate VII told him, sounding weary.

"Father," Hayate VIII breathed, torn between wanting to go to him and waiting to stay close to Minha. He shook his head to help clear the feelings conflicting in him. He stayed with her.

"I think it's best you two stay there," Hayate VII said wearily. "Something very serious has happened..." he preempted before explaining everything that had happened with Mukuro. Minha felt enraged herself that he surrender so easily when they were supposed to be neutral in the Demon King War, not become a tributary in it.

When he had finished explaining, Hiroto jumped up in outrage. "Are you insane?!" Hayate VIII tensed up, taking a protective stance by Minha while staring daggers at Hiroto, watching his every move in case he in any threatening manner.

"Sh, it's ok," she told Hayate VIII while running her hand softly along his inner forearm. It made him relax while he felt tempted to attack Hiroto. "He's not angry with me. He's not going to hurt me."

Hiroto who had paused to watch Hayate VIII cautiously rounded on Hayate VII. "You surrendered without much of a fight!"

Most of the council stood up and or shouted in agreement, much to Hayate VII and Hayate VIII's surprise. Mai herself looked in complete shock.

"It's done," Hayate VII responded tersely. "He was going to kill everyone here. He killed Ran. The strongest fighter we have and he killed her without much effort. What would you have done?!"

"Fight! Die! Not surrender to someone out of fear!" Hiroto shouted back. Minha watched as his influence spread through the council, knowing it was likely because he made her blessed him years ago to be influential on the council. Even though she agreed with him, she wished she had never blessed him.

Hayate VIII felt too angry at the situation and managed to break the ropes binding his hands apart. Minha put herself in front of him daringly. He hesitated, wanting to push her out of his way so he could go after Hiroto, but could not bring himself to risk hurting her. She brought his shaking hands to her face. "Look at me," she breathed. "Just me. No one else." He felt himself struggling to hold onto her without hurting her. He willed himself to keep looking at her while wanting to attack her father for being loud and angry. And for insulting his father. He was still shaking.

"Minha, you need to get him out of here," Hayate VII told her in a pained voice. "He's going to lose control and attack someone."

She felt annoyed that he would tell her what to do after being such a coward. "Sick him on Mukuro. Maybe he can defeat him and then we won't have to deal with him in four weeks," Hiroto told her.

Hayate VIII grunted, taking his hands from Minha's face and moving to go around her harmlessly and after Hiroto. Minha latched to his arm, trying to hold him back while Mai came over to them, helping her tug him back. Hayate VIII fought against Mai while making sure he would not harm Minha. Eventually Mai managed to get him, along with Minha out of the room. Minha stood in front of the door protectively, knowing he would not go for it in case he risked hurting her. He turned on Mai, unloading his built up rage on Hiroto on her. He swung his fist, punching her in the jaw. Mai tried to to hit him back, but missed.

After he hit her again the second time, Minha shouted from the door. "Stop it! Now!" He froze, tensing up and standing before Mai. He did not want her upset or threatened. Mai rubbed her jaw tenderly. Minha stepped cautiously between them, facing Hayate. She placed her hands on his chest. "Sit down. Calm down," she said. He backed away from her and her orders that he could not resist obeying. He did not want her upset over anything though. "Please. For me," she requested.

He huffed at her but did as she asked. She sat down next to him, pulling his head down to her chest. He let her do so. She stroked his hair absentmindedly, seeming to calm him down enough that he fell asleep. He must be so exhausted seeing as how he probably had not slept the night before, went through mate claiming, and was now trying to keep his instincts and emotions in check at who know what time in the morning. While stroking his hair, she thought over the seriousness of what was happening in what was her first council meeting. She never expected becoming his mate, becoming the Dojeneun would become so serious so fast. She had become the most powerful mate in the clan, the one who was now third in command after VII and VIII, just as all this drama went down. Her father in law was a coward and now the whole clan was tributary to Mukuro because he chose to do that instead of die. It was shameful. A warrior clan subdued because of his surrender. Who was he going to make go to him as a hostage? No one would even be willing to do that. It sounded worse than execution. Or exile. She shuddered at the memory of when Ichiro, Hayate VIII's cousin was exiled. He was as mad as they get.

She looked up, noticing Mai was staring at her. "What?" she asked brusquely. Hayate VIII was stilll resting against her, head now in her lap. He was more brutish than she realized. She seemed to be able to keep him calm at least, which was helpful. Hopefully that did not wear off once her blood was out of his system. All men who claimed a mate were overly protective of their claim while their blood was in their system. They saw other males as a threat to their mate. He seemed like someone who very little provocation to attack someone in general. Add matehood into it, it could easily become worse.

"How did you get him to chose you?" Mai risked the question.

"I'm his best choice," Minha said, closing her eyes at such an annoying question. They were going to need to come up with a cover story that did not involve her blessing/cursing ability.

"But we all thought Aiko-"

"Aiko may be able to fight, yes, but I'm the better choice. I'm the descendant of the Demon World royal family. When Raizen killed them off, my great mother escaped with her bastard daughter from the youngest prince and come here as a refugee. I'm a royal, Aiko's not. That makes me better than her," she countered. "Even he could see that."

The door to the council room opened. Out came a female council member whose name she could not remember. "What do you want?" Minha asked her sharply. Hayate VIII woke up with a start. He looked at Minha first, making sure she was okay and then turned his eyes to the woman.

The woman spoke carefully. "There's been a vote of no confidence brought, well, brought to a vote. We need you three to vote."

"No," Mai and Hayate VIII said together.

"Minha?" the woman prompted her.

Minha swallowed thickly, unsure whether she should say 'yes' like she wanted to or 'no' like she knew Hayate VIII wanted her to. This would be her first vote on the council. "No," she said selflessly.

"Thank you," the woman said and went back into the room.

They waited for there for what seemed like hours. Hayate VIII would not rest anymore as he felt too impatient. Minha dozed with her head in his lap this time. Mai paced the hallway impatiently. Finally the door opened and Hayate VII stepped out, his long hair cut as short as his neck. Minha woke up and gasped when she saw him. Whenever a Hayato clansmen was branded a coward, they had to cut their hair, the more severe the cowardice was, the more hair they cut off. To cut so much off meant he would be known as a coward forever. Minha wondered how he could rule after this?

"Father?" Hayate VIII asked, clutching Minha to him protectively. He was torn between wanting to keep his father away from Minha and wanting to go to his father. The mixed feelings felt maddening.

"Go to him," Minha told him, wriggling out of his hold. He gave her an unsure look. "I'm okay. I won't be harmed," she reassured him as she shifted away from him and went to stand close to Mai. She assumed with her being by Mai would be reassuring to Hayate VIII.

Hayate VIII went to his father, clinging to him. The shock Hayate VIII felt seemed to be wearing off. "You did what you had to do. We'll survive this. You can still rule. And when the time comes, we'll kill Mukuro and be free again."

Hayate VII grew tense, pulling away from his son. "No," he shook his head and avoiding looking at any of them. "Hiroto called for the vote of no confidence and it passed-"

"No!" Hayate VIII shouted.

"You're going to be made clan leader, Gunju this afternoon."

"No!"

"And Minha Gunjuneun."

"No!"

"And Jiro Doje."

"No!" He shoved passed his father, making for the door to the council room, filled with the raging desire to attack Hiroto who he felt was a threat to Minha and had just convinced the council to force his father into abdicating.

Hayate VII grabbed Hayate VIII by the shoulders, throwing him back away from the door and into the wall across from it. "It's happened," Hayate VII choked out. Hayate VIII charged at him, wanting to fight him just like he had wanted to fight Mai earlier to get him out of the way so he could go after Hiroto. Hayate VII knocked him down to the ground. He came up behind him, locking his arms over his shoulders. "Minha, get him calm again."

"Don't you touch her," Hayate VIII barked, struggling to get free of his grasp. The world just seemed to have gone mad. Minha came up to them, feeling apprehensive. Hayate VIII looked up at her, feeling saner for a bit. "Keep your distance from him," he told her. He was still struggling, but it lessened as she got closer.

She ignored him and came down to his eye level. She kissed his forehead sweetly, hoping it would calm him down. She brushed his hair back behind his ears. "We need to get you out of here my mate," she said quietly, pulling his head against her chest. He seemed to relax at her ministrations, nuzzling at bit against her. "Before they come out," she said vaguely enough to keep him from realizing she was talking mainly about her father coming out of the council room. She swallowed thickly, looking up to Hayate VII. He looked so different after being branded a coward. "Let him go Gunju. Please."

"Keep him calm. We're pushing him beyond normal limits for anyone as it is, especially a freshly mated man. It's asking too much of either of you," he took a deep, steadying breath. "With Mai's help, get him back to your room, keep him calm, keep him in control of himself."

She nodded in agreement, nervous as Hayate VII let Hayate VIII go. Hayate VIII pulled himself away from Minha, looked back at his father, and clenched his fists. "No," Minha told him as she faked tired, slipping down to lay on the floor. He turned back to her, concerned at her on the laying down on the floor like that. "I'm so tired," she breathed. He bent down to pick her up off the ground.

"Minha," he questioned, pulling her closer. He stood up with her in his arms.

"Take me back to bed," she pleaded, trying to appeal to his protective instincts that were so readily forefront. He hesitated, looking back at his father. He would not risk attacking anyone with her in his arms. As a precaution, she shifted in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck and lay her head down on his shoulder.

"Mai, help them get back please," Hayate VII requested. "Keep men away from him."

"Yes Gunju," Mai replied.


	10. Chapter 10

It was an abysmal struggle for Minha to keep Hayate calm throughout the next day. He kept wanting to attack the few idiotic men who got too close to her and kept saying he wanted Hiroto dead. Minha was not sure how she felt about that feeling. The ceremony making Hayate VIII the the Gunju, the first in command on the clan leadership, Minha the Gunjuneun, the second in command of clan leadership, and his boy cousin Jiro the Doje, the third in command of the clan leadership. The ceremony was made difficult because they had to keep the men from the clan at a distance from Hayate VIII. Minha felt uncomfortable through out the ceremony. She had wanted the power yes, but it was too much, too soon. It should have been one of the best days of her life. She had not expected to have such power for years. Both her and Hayate VIII likely need months or even years for them to watch Hayate VII's leadership and learn from him before he died. To have all that had happened seemed like hell for Minha and was likely an even worse hell for Hayate VIII. They managed to get through it with any hiccups thankfully.

Then tragedy had struck again for them. Hayate VII had killed himself the day after the ceremony, driving Hayate VIII into a terrifying rage followed by an equally terrifying depression. Minha struggled with him daily just to get him to take care of himself when all he wanted to do was sleep and be alone, so getting him to step up and lead the clan was impossible. The best she could do to get him to make decisions was to bother him until he gave her some semblance of an answer to a problem. Mainly he told her to do whatever she wanted. By virtue of being his mate, she was essentially forced to lead the clan two nights after he had mate claimed her. It was either she lead or Jiro, who was too young and dealing with his own depression at his uncle's suicide, to lead. She could not put that pressure on such a child when just because she did not want to do it. It was her or no one at this point. There was no other definitive person after Jiro in the clan who could lead. It was a mad whirlwind of events. Her father was no help, trying to pressure her into doing what he wanted done rather what Hayate VIII or she herself wanted done. Yasha helped with what he could, mainly trying to care for Hayate VIII, to help share her burden. When it seemed like it could not get any worse, Mukuro showed up four weeks from when he and Hayate VII made the blood bond treaty on the dot.

Mukuro came in through the main gate, unchallenged. All the clan knew he was coming and to let him come to the castle unharmed as he was considered under Minha's protection because of the blood bond made with Hayate VII. All those who crossed his path realized just how powerful and dangerous he was. He waited in the presence chamber for Hayate VIII to meet with him in his father's place with what seemed like a great deal of impatience. He warned that if he waited more than a half hour, he would start killing the first people he came across until he was met with.

Minha was with her father and brother when a servant informed of Mukuro's arrival and request to meet with Hayate VIII, much to her own terror. She felt like she would rather face Raizen, the murderer of her ancestors, then Mukuro. Or Yomi instead of Mukuro for that matter. Mukuro had the reputation for being the cruelest of all three.

"This has gone on far long enough," Hiroto told her after the servant had left. "Get him up and out of bed. Mukuro might take as an insult and attack the clan if he doesn't meet with him."

Minha felt panicky, looking up at Yasha pleadingly. "I can't," she whined. "I've tried."

"You're not trying hard enough," Hiroto scolded her, making to strike her.

Yasha stepped between them and took the blow instead. "Give her a break. He's grieving. All this has happened too fast for him."

"If you can't get him up, then you'll have to go in his place Gunjuneun," he bit harshly at the last word.

She shook at very idea in fear. "Yasha?" she whimpered.

Yasha took her hand and they went into Minha and Hayate's bedroom. He was still laying in the bed asleep. She dropped her hold on Yasha's hand and moved over to Hayate, shaking his shoulder until he woke up. "Leave me alone," he huffed at her.

She bit her lip and looked at Yasha, shaking her head. She knew Hayate would not even listen to her when he started off huffing at her. Yasha came over to stand behind her, putting a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Hayate, you need to get up. Mukuro's here for the formal treaty. You must meet with him." Hayate rolled away from them, uncaring. "Get up. You're the Gunju. He'll start killing people soon if you don't. Making your father's actions pointless."

Minha put a steadying hand on his hand on her shoulder. "Too harsh. You're too harsh." Hayate continued to ignore them. "Hayate, please," she pleaded for real. "I can't do this. It's too much pressure," she took a deep breath to keep her voice from going any higher pitched. "I need you. The clan needs you." He had not even bothered to respond to her. "Please," she said, shaking his arm. He took her hand off of his and continued ignoring them. She looked up to Yasha, shaking her head. She led the way out of the room.

Once she and Yasha had left the room, she threw herself into Yasha's arms, shaking. She felt grateful their father was no longer around. "You can do this. You have to," he comforted her.

She shook her head. "I can't. I just can't."

"If you don't, Jiro will have to. He'd practically eat Jiro for breakfast."

She gripped his tunic top in the balls of her fists. She could not let Jiro do it, no matter what. The boy was too weak and who knows what Mukuro would do to him. She had to protect him. "Please go with me," she begged. "As an adviser. I can't face him alone," she whined.

He put his arms around her tightly. "If he'll let me." He let her go, pulling off his gloves and then her gloves while explaining suggestively "if we can, one of use needs to get our hands on him." She bit her lip, nodding. "You can do this. Just don't get mean or snappy. Be respectful. Be submissive even. And mind your tongue." She nodded again. Together, both walked down the hall, passed Hiroto with a begrudging nod each, and to the presence chamber to meet with Mukuro.

Yasha opened the door carefully and Minha took a steadying breath, trying to fake confidence as entered the room regally, Yasha falling in step behind her. When she reached the low table Mukuro was kneeling in front of, she stopped and went down to kneel across from him and bowed to him deeply. Yasha came down next to do and repeated her gestures. She raised her torso up and pressed her shaking hands hard into her legs to help steady them. She looked at Mukuro and noticed he had no skin showing, so either one of them touching him and either blessing him or taking control of his will was out. She looked at the table, noticing that Mukuro had already been served tea and a few samplings of food. The tea and food sat on the left side of the table and paper, brushes, ink, and a small knife were sat on the right. He had left everything untouched.

"Who are you?" Mukuro asked in his deep, electric sound voice that sent involuntary shivers down Minha's spin as he stared at her. The voice sound unnatural for a man. It was unnerving that she could only see one of his eyes under his lens, bandages, and scrolls.

Minha forced herself to look him in the eye and answered "Minha, the Gunjuneun. Hayate, the Gunju's mate."

"That old man took quite a young mate. The bite on your neck looks like he did it recently," Mukuro responded, tilting his head to get a better look at her neck. The gesture seemed slightly unmasculine to Minha. Minha resisted the urge to cover her mate bite from Hayate VIII.

She swallowed thickly. "The gunju you fought with is dead," she said, trying not to let her emotions into her voice. "His eldest son is now gunju." She paused and added in "sir."

"Then where is he?" Mukuro asked harshly, hand slamming down on the table. Minha flinched and felt Yasha next to her do the same.

When there was too long of a silence, Yasha spoke. "Sir, he is unwell. In times such as these, the Gunjuneun can step up and take the Gunju's place in anything he or she needs of them. He or she is second in command of the clan so long as his or her mate is still alive. Please understand the treaty you make with her is equal to any treaty you make with the Gunju," he explained truthfully.

"This clan has strange politics," Mukuro commented. "Putting such trust in a mate. Even if she does look like demon royalty. Even you both do. Raizen must have missed one." Minha gave a small gasp at the comments. "So if she's the one who parley's with me, then why are you here boy?"

"Sir, I am here as her adviser. If her mate was here, he would be sitting in front of you with her as his adviser," he lied. In reality, the gunju would meet with someone like Mukuro alone, no mate or adviser would be necessary. Yasha was just trying to convince Mukuro to let him stay because Minha did not want to be alone with Mukuro. Minha looked at Yasha nervously, praying he would get to stay with them. She could not begin to imagine what would happen if Yasha was not here.

Mukuro pointed to the door. "Leave boy," he ordered. Minha shook her head, feeling like she was having trouble breathing.

"Sir, this is how we do politics here-" Yasha began to counter.

"You're lying," Mukuro accused him, pounding his fist on the table. Minha struggled not to let herself cower before the man who defeated Ran, Hayate VII, and the others with ease. "Get out." Yasha hesitated, trying to think how to convince Mukuro to let him stay. "Get out or she dies," Mukuro threatened. "And then your gunju will have to meet with me, sick as he must be to put someone like her in front of me."

Yasha stood up slowly and unwillingly. "No," Minha whimpered before she could stop herself. She watched him walk towards the door, unable to take his eyes off of him, shaking her head. She turned her head away from him and looked down at her hands on her knees, willing them to stay still. When the door shut behind him, she closed her eyes and gave a small whine. 'I can't do this. I wanted power, but not in this much or in this way.' She willed herself to look up at Mukuro, blinking away at the building wetness in her eyes. She hated the man before her. Hated Yasha for leaving her alone with him. Hated Hayate for not facing him like he was supposed to. Hated that she could not bring herself to let Jiro face him instead. "I'm sorry for that Lord Mukuro. He meant you no insult. I asked him to be here with me." She bowed her body low, trying to pacify Mukuro. To take her eyes off of Mukuro now made terror swell up in her as if to choke her. She sat back up, straight backed. "Would you like to begin sir?" she asked submissively, nodding towards the papers, ink, and brushes.

"I'll decide when we start girl," Mukuro snapped at her. Minha looked steadily at him, resisting the temptation to bicker with him. She passive observed his body language and noticed he seemed slighter and curvier than his clothes made him out to be. After five long minutes passed, Mukuro finally spoke "let's begin," as he picked up a piece of paper and put it in front of him. He then picked up a brush and dipped it into the ink.

Mukuro wrote the treaty as they discussed, with Minha conceding with most of his demands, not wanting to risk arguing with him in case he got too upset with her and killed her and went after everyone else. It was a terrifying idea for her to be the clans' last line of defense against Mukuro. It seemed like Mukuro was just making the Hayato clan would not be able to ally with Yomi primarily. Minha gathered that Mukuro felt Yomi was a bigger threat to his kingship claim on the Demon World. It must have been true that Raizen would not do much more than maintain his hold on roughly a third of the Demon World. She wondered what would happen if Raizen lost his hold on the Demon World, destroying the war's balance, and it would be left to Yomi and Mukuro to fight for control. The only point Minha could manage to keep out of the treaty completely was that if the war did escalate, that the clan would not go to war with Mukuro, arguing the clan would remain neutral in those kinds of conflicts. Once the treaty was done, both looked through it, Minha trying to do so as carefully as she could, so to insure Mukuro had not slipped in anything she had not agreed to. Surprisingly, everything they had agreed on was in the treaty and nothing else. Once that was done, Mukuro wrote a second identical treaty.

When Minha was done reading over the second treaty, she set it and the first treaty down before Mukuro, words first. "My Lord," she said tensely, picking up the small knife and holding it out in her palm. "Would you like to sign first or should I?"

Mukuro took the knife from her hand and quickly cut it along her index finger. Minha wince and gasped at the pain. She resisted the temptation to heal the cut immediately like she usually would whenever she was injured. Mukuro grabbed her wrist so she could not move her hand away. He turned the treaty around to face Minha. "You can sign first," he said. Minha looked at his hands briefly, noticing a fraction of a gap between his gloves and his sleeve where his skin was exposed. She was tempted to grab for it and give him a curse to die, but decided against it as it was too risky. If she messed it up, he might kill her for being so impetuous. When Mukuro let her wrist go, Minha brought her finger down and signed both treaties in blood. She turned the treaties to face Mukuro and then healed the cut on her own finger.

Mukuro slashed his own index finger through his glove, signing the treaties next. "A healer," he commented, holding out his finger to her to be healed. "I could tell you're not a fighter, but a healer has her uses."

Minha healed him unwillingly, wishing that he had taken his gloves off and then she could have tried to curse him before he could stop her. His hand seemed slim under his glove.

Mukuro took his hand back, gave a soft laugh, picked up one of the treaties, picked the knife up, and stood up. Minha hesitated and then bowed to him. Mukuro took a few steps over to her and stood over her. Minha looked up at him curiously. "How is it you birds show your courage? Outwardly?"

"The length of our hair my lord," she responded evenly. She wondered what Mukuro must think of such a cultural norm, but would not risk asking it. She swallowed thickly, eyeing the knife Mukuro held in his hand nervously. He was fiddling with it in a haphazard manner.

"From what my spies have told me, your old leader was named a coward for surrendering to me. Your council had him cut his hair to prove he was a coward. And then he killed himself in shame. I wonder if anyone will see you signing a treaty with me as equally cowardly." Minha could not take her eyes off the knife in his hand, scared at what he might do. "Let's save them the hassle, shall we?" he asked before twisting his hand around her hair at the base of her neck.

"Please no," Minha entreated him before he drew knife across the back of her neck, removing her most of her hair and cutting the back of her neck. Mukuro dropped her cut hair in front of her on the table with a cruel laugh. Minha looked away from him,trying to will herself not to cry in front of him as she stared at the locks of her own hair in front of her. She brought her hand back to her neck and healed the cut there. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hold back her desire to yell at him and to cry in front of him.

"I can't wait to meet the hostage you send to me. Be sure they're not a coward like you."


	11. Chapter 11

"Hayate," he heard Minha's tired voice speaking close to his ear. "Mate, please," she added after he had not responded.

"What?" Hayate half snapped at her. He turned over on the bed to face her. He noticed she had a half hopeful look in her eyes and a tray of food in her hands. By the smell of it, food seemed appealing for the first time in days. He half sat up, leaning his weight on his back against the bed.

"I brought you something to eat if you would like it," she said softly, setting the tray down on his legs before he could tell her no. "It's the middle of the afternoon and I figured you would be hungry as you haven't eat yet today," she added cautiously. She sat down on the bed next to him, looking as if she would spring up at provocation.

He looked down at the food, feeling his stomach roll. He shook his head, hearing her give a sharp intake of breath. He glanced over at her, noticing she looked clearly worried about him.

"I also need to know what to do about-" she began.

"About what?" he asked grumpily, pushing the tray away, smarting as it stopped abruptly at his knees. In annoyance, he picked up the tray and threw it off of him and the bed and on to the floor. She seemed to insist on bothering him with clan troubles since his father died and he was sick of it. He just wanted to be left alone to decide if he wanted to die too, but she would not leave him alone. She seemed to hover over him like a mother hen in the past two weeks, sometimes succeeding in getting him to do things bar leaving their quarters. A few times her brother was with her, making him more apprehensive that Yasha would touch him and ordered him to do something. He went along with her goading a bit more when Yasha was around.

She put two soft hands on his. "A storm is coming. Severe by the looks of it. Should we bring the harvest in a month early, getting a lower yield, or wait for harvest time and risk it and hope to get the full yield should the storm not destroy any or all of it?"

"You woke me up just to ask me that?" he growled, pulling his hands away from hers.

"I can relay your opinion to the council if you would like to tell me what it is?" she asked nervously, hoping not to raise his temper anymore. "Like I did the last few times."

"I don't care," he turned away from her and tucked himself back into the bed. "Do what you want."

"Okay," she responded gently, running a tender hand along his hair. He considered telling her to stop, but he liked the feeling he felt when she touched his hair. "I'm going to have the harvest brought in early. I don't want to risk it," she explained. "When you're ready to lead, I'll be there with you," she promised. He ignored her, wishing his father was there instead, feeling overwhelmingly lonely. He felt her shift on the bed and then place a barely there kiss on his temple. Then he felt her get off of the bed.

He continued to ignore her, feeling annoyed that she had not left the room yet and instead was cleaning up mess he made on the floor. He felt better and then worse when he heard her leave the room. He heard her arguing with two male voices not far off. He ignored them all, trying to will himself back to sleep so his father could dream walk into his dreams again with the help of the Great Hawk Spirit, the Hayato clans' ancestor. She always guided the clan's dead into the dreams of people they knew; one night for each year the clansman lived. His father had visited him the first night, but not any other nights since.

He felt like he was hovering on the edge of sleep when the door opened again. A tired and annoyed looking Yasha walked into the room, arms crossed over his chest. He leaned against the closed door, not saying anything. Hayate ignored him as well, waiting for sleep to finally take him over again.

The next two weeks continued in similar fashion, Minha hovering over him for almost every waking moment. The times if she was not there, it would be Yasha, on a few occasions Mai or a servant, or once Kohaku. He felt like she would not let him be alone. On two occasions, she had pressed her luck and started touching and kissing him romantically. He shoved her away as gently as he could both times, taking longer to do so the second time then the first.

On another occasion, both Minha and Yasha had come into his room, bothering him to meet with Mukuro, but he told them to go away and ignored them. A little while later, he heard someone come into the room, slamming the door shut behind them. Hayate looked over towards the door, a sudden anger swelling up within him that he was being bother again, this time with Yasha by himself.

"Get up," Yasha snapped at him, moving over to him on the bed. Yasha grabbed his arm, tugging him into a sitting position before he could react.

"You son of a bitch," Hayate swore, shaking out of his grip. He checked Yasha's hands, noticing he still had a similar pair of skin toned gloves on his hands that Minha wore. "Don't touch me."

Yasha narrowed his eyes at Hayate. "Enough is enough. You've been laying around for too long while Minha's doing your job for you on top of her own," he sounded enraged without actually yelling. He reached over and grabbed his arm again, tugging him towards the edge of the bed. "Get up and lead or get up and kill yourself. I don't care. I'm sick of having to babysit you while my sister is on the verge of a nervous breakdown." Hayate pulled Yasha's hand off of his arm. "She has to go face Mukuro because you won't get your lazy ass out of bed." Yasha gave an annoyed growl and punched Hayate's shoulder. "She's your mate damn it."

After a delayed reaction, Hayate felt his temper growing shorter with Yasha. He felt more alert and awake then he had in weeks. He rounded on Yasha, taking his own swing at him and missing as Yasha backed away from the bed. Yasha gave a snide click against his teeth. Feeling insulted, Hayate jumped out the bed and charged at Yasha, escalating the situation into a full blown brawl in the bedroom. Hayate punched Yasha square in the chest, sending him staggering backwards. Yasha retaliated with his own right hook to Hayate's jaw. Hayate rounded on him with a strike aimed for his chest again, but he blocked it and shoved Hayate away towards the door. Hayate charged back at him again, landing a punch across his jaw. Then another one into his shoulder. When Hayate tried to land a third punch, Yasha blocked it, kicked him in the chest, and then punched him in the face before he could react.

Yasha paused, raising his guard as he panted. "Minha said to let you be, to be nice to you, but I'm sick of it. So unless you want me to kick your ass some more, catch yourself on and lead like you're supposed to. Instead of making your mate do everything for you."

Hayate clenched his fist and charged at Yasha again. Yasha dodged him with effort and then struck him between his ribs. If he were not a wind demon, it would have made it difficult for him to breath. The pain was enough to make him pause though, leaving an opening for Yasha to kick him in his knee and make him stagger and almost fall. Hayate roared wordlessly and shoved Yasha back hard and pinned him against the wall. One hand came around Yasha's neck and the other pinned his right forearm to the wall. Yasha gripped at the hand around his neck, but could not pull it off.

"That's the spirit," Yasha teased in a wheezing voice. "We could have used this attitude adjustment a little earlier. Before you let Minha go face Mukuro in your place." Hayate slackened his grip on Yasha, but he did not try to escape his grip, but stared him down instead. "She needs you. Whether you want to or not, she can't keep this up much longer. It's no secret she wanted the power that comes from being your mate, but she's not able to handle the pressure after your father died and you just laid down and hid like a coward," he swore. Hayate tightened his grip on Yasha, keeping him from talking anymore. The insult making him angry.

Both men froze when they heard an argument starting outside the door. Hayate's grip slackened again on Yasha as they listened in. "For goodness sake! I said let me see that!" Yasha groaned, recognizing the voice a split second before Hayate did.

"Let me go," Yasha requested, looking suddenly very worried. Hayate ignored him, listening to the argument, feeling his tempering beginning to boil over again.

"I told you no!" Minha's high pitched voice responded to the first voice. "Hayate should see it first! Not you!"

"He won't even leave your rooms! I have half a mind to call a vote of no confidence against him as well!" Hiroto shouted backed at her. "I haven't bothered yet because that would leave Jiro in charge and you displaced! The least he could do is knock you up! If you were pregnant, then he can be displaced without displacing you! He can't even seem to do that!"

"Leave him alone! Let him grieve!"

"You seemed to have forgotten how to listen in the past month!"

"You're not the only one on the council! I don't have to listen to you!"

"I'm your father! Now let me see that treaty you lost your hair for!"

"I said no!"

"Mukuro did us a favor branding you a craven!"

Both men froze and tensed up when they heard a sharp smack and a pitiful shout from Minha. Hayate shoved Yasha to the ground to keep him out of his way and stormed over to the door, nearly tearing it from its hinges as he threw it open. He saw a bad-tempered Hiroto standing a cowering Minha, trying to pry a set of papers she desperately clutched to her chest. She bit his hand, trying to stop him from getting the treaty from her.

Hiroto swore at her "you little bitch!" as he shook his hand free from her bite. He raised his hand up, ready to back hand her across the face.

"Hiroto!" Hayate boomed, charging over to him. "Get away from my mate!" He shoved Hiroto so he was facing him and punched him hard across the mouth, sending him to the ground.

"How dare-" Hiroto began.

"Get out of my sight!" Hayate shouted him down. He pulled him up by his shirt collar. "If I ever hear you've touched her again I'll kill you!" He shoved him backwards with him moving readily to get away until he was out through the main door of Hayate and Minha's quarters.

Panting heavily, he turned back and went to Minha. Yasha was kneeling next to her, holding her close. He knelt down in front of them, facing Minha. She kept her face downcast before him. He noticed her hair was much shorter, cut roughly in line with her chin. He vowed to kill Mukuro for the insult he dealt her. He brought a hand under her chin on the left side of her face, raising her face to look up at his. "I'm sorry," he told her, breaking the silence.

She gave a whimper, detached herself from Yasha, and sat back very still and tense. The papers she had been holding were crumpled when she handed them over to Hayate with a weary look in her eyes. He could see she was holding back some pretty powerful emotions because he was there. He took the papers from her, smoothing them over and taking a cursory glance over the words. This definitely needed to be reviewed thoroughly by the council immediately. He looked back at her exhausted form, realizing he hardly knew her and yet she had done so much already for him and the clan. He sat the treaty down carefully, reached over to her, and pulled her by her forearms towards him into a tight embrace. His hand went up to her knewly shorn hair, running his fingers through it. She was stiff at first, but then relaxed in his arms and hugged him back.

Yasha broke the silence next. "He must not have known I was in there. Or that you would react the way you did. He prefers if no one saw him raise a hand to her."

"Why don't you-" he paused, not wanting to reveal that he knew about Yasha's abilities "-stop him."

"I haven't been able to," Yasha responded with a weak excuse.

"Then I will. I will kill him if I have to," Hayate retorted.

"Killing one of your council members is not the first real thing you want as your act as gunju," replied Yasha with a soft laugh.

"How can you joke about that," Hayate hissed.

Yasha rolled his eyes. "Can I assume you'll watch over her now like a real mate should?" he dug. "Instead of still leaving that bit to me?"

Hayate flinched at the dig, tightening his grip on Minha reflexively. "You're hurting me," she struggled to say. She raised her head up from his shoulder and pushed weakly against him. "Too tight."

He slackened his grip around her, looking her face over. Her eyes had a steely look to them underlined with concern. She had a red mark on her left cheek. He growled under his breath at the sight of it. It made he want to hunt Hiroto down and do worse to him then he did to her. He barely kissed the spot softly.

Minha pulled away from him and sat back away from him, looking skittish. She reached up and healed the red mark on her cheek. "You need to review the treaty. Then we need to call a council meeting to review the treaty with them."

"Show me," he requested, standing up and offering a hand down to her. She took it and he pulled her up to her feet. She gave him a sad, nervous smile.


	12. Chapter 12

Later that same day after reviewing the treaty with Minha, Hayate called an emergency council meeting to review the treaty Minha made with Mukuro. Minha felt hesitate to go with her hair cut so shamefully short, but Hayate wanted her then and she went to support him. On the way to the meeting, Hayate and Minha noticed Yasha and Kohaku standing closely together in the corner of a hallway, speaking in low voices. When Kohaku heard the two of them coming down the hallway, he jumped, looked uncomfortable, and walked away from Yasha abruptly. Yasha watched him go with a mopey face.

"Everything alright?" Hayate asked Yasha.

Yasha frowned, shook his head, and then smirked. "Must not be if you two left your rooms in the states you're in," he teased. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go check the schedule for my next watch on the wall. I've been missing more then my fair share the past month." He headed down the opposite hallway that of Kohaku.

"Yasha," Hayate called. "Thank you again for helping us."

"You're welcome," he called back.

Hayate continued heading towards the council room. Quietly he asked Minha "what is Yasha's relationship with Kohaku?"

"It's not romantic, if that's what you think," she hissed harshly. "They're friends. Been so for years. There's nothing shameful about their friendship."

Hayate puzzled over that, wondering how true her statement might be. She could not lie to him, but that did not mean she did not know the truth. She spoke what she thought was true.

When they reached the council room, Hayate waited for impatiently there for all the council member to arrive, including Hiroto, who he felt he'd rather never see again. If he could find a way, he planned to at least remove Hiroto from the council to help distance him from Minha for her own good. Minha sat on his left, and a very tired Jiro on his right. Jiro looked even more fragile then he used to and like he did not want to be there at all. After Hayate apologized for his lack of leadership while he was grieving, the lot of them accepted it, Hiroto begrudgingly. The next measure was to go over the treaty. A vast majority of the council seemed to approve of the treaty, much to Minha's pride. Once the council was done reviewing the treaty, Hiroto spoke up first.

"Where are the punitive clauses that are meant to hold both Mukuro and yourself to the terms of the treaty?" Hiroto asked roughly.

Minha had been avoiding looking at him since he struck her and tried to take the treaty from her earlier. "You've read the treaty. There are none," she stated with fake confidence, looking her father in the eye. Hayate sensed her tense up beside him, which prompted him to put a steadying hand on her knee. She seemed to relax slightly at his touch.

"Why?" he asked boldly, staring back at her.

Minha rested her hand on Hayate's hand on her knee. "Because we didn't find it necessary." She was staring him down coolly, but her grip tightened on Hayate's hand underneath the table.

"And what happens if Mukuro doesn't find it necessary to keep to the treaty? To come back here and make more demands or attack us?" Hiroto half shouted.

The rest of the council seemed to ponder over what he was saying. A few nodded in agreement. Minha bit her lip nervously, feeling her pride in drafting the treaty dissipating and concerned to watch Hiroto's influence starting to take hold on the council again. "Nothing," she responded tersely.

"So you mean to say you met with Mukuro, wrote this treaty with him, signed it in blood, let him brand you a coward, but put in no punitive clauses to hold him to his word!?" he quizzed her furiously.

Minha tensed up again, her shoulders in particular. "Leave her alone," Hayate ordered. "She did better than you would. Then any of you would. Would you have managed to sit there across a known killer and be calm? Keep from agreeing that our clan will go to war for him?"

"She only had to do it because you wouldn't," Hiroto snapped back.

"She did her duty when I needed her the most," Hayate responded. His hand slightly stroked her knee.

"And when we needed you, you just hid away. Making her do things she's clearly not capable of doing."

Hayate felt like he had heard enough from Hiroto, especially when he started hinting at a vote of no confidence against her. "Would you like us to leave the room Hiroto?" he asked calmly. "Leave you two alone like earlier today." He felt Minha tense up again beside him. He looked down at her, her mouth pursed and she shook her head slightly. Thinking it over, he figured the best way to get Hiroto off the council after knowing how he had treated her, and had probably treated her for years made he decide to say his next words. "I know you don't like to strike her when other people could see." He felt her pull her hand away from his.

"How dare you accuse me-" Hiroto began.

Hayate interrupted him. "Tell me the truth. Did you strike her earlier? Trying to get this treaty from her before I even saw it?" He narrowed his eyes, hoping the gunju power that made it impossible for someone to lie to him would work. Hiroto clenched his jaw, mouth pursed the same way as Minha did. "Well?" he asked. The air seemed thick with tension. The other council members were either looking at Hayate or Hiroto. "Answer me," he ordered.

"Yes," he unwillingly answered, shocking most of the council that Hayate noticed.

"And you've struck her, someone who isn't a fighter, before today?"

"Yes," he struggled to say.

Hayate looked at him triumphantly at getting it to admit his abuse in front of the whole council. Blessed with influence or not, he hoped few council members would defend him after hearing his confession. "I think it's probably best then that you now leave the room Hiroto. You can't be in your own vote of no confidence. I don't want you in here anymore so close to my mate." Hiroto stood up, rage coloring his face red. Hayate stood up himself, drawing himself up to his tall and stocky form. "Out! Now!" he pointed to the door.

"I don't even get to defend myself?!" Hiroto shouted back. Hayate stared him down until Hiroto shoved his chair back so harshly that it fell to the floor. Hayate tensed up for the fight he was itching to have with the man. "You should be the one thrown out." To the rest of the council he warned "you all know you need me." He stormed out of the room.

Hayate sat back down, reached his hand over to Minha and took her hand. She slipped her hand from his grasp, balling her hands together in her lap. Her face looked livid. Hayate turned his gaze away from her and called for the vote of no confidence against Hiroto, feeling it was like justified revenge for Hiroto doing so against his father and for his mistreatment of Minha. Getting him off the council would keep him farther away from Minha from now on. Surprisingly, the vote only narrowly passed. Hayate swallowed thickly, worried it was Hiroto's blessed influence that kept the vote so close.

"Next matter of business," Hayate said, once what he wanted done to Hiroto was done. "We need to select the hostage that will go Mukuro. One we think can keep him to stick to the treaty even though it has no punitive clauses. My suggestion is Kohaku." He thought about suggesting Yasha outright in the hopes that he could will control Mukuro into leaving the clan at peace, but thought against it. If he baited Kohaku as his choice, he might be able to turn around and get Yasha to volunteer in his place. If it did not work, Kohaku was still as good choice as he had proved his courage time and again.

He felt Minha's heavy gaze way and looked down at her. If she was not mad at him before, she was mad now. "Why Kohaku?" she asked in an eerily calm voice.

"He's a strong, brave, and loyal clansman. You seem to trust him. Yasha seems to trust him," he replied.

"Isn't there anyone else we could send?" she half hissed.

"I'm open for suggestions," he replied looking around the room.

"Aiko," Minha spoke vengefully. "We all know she's quite a fighter."

Hayate felt ready to round on her for that low blow, but resisted it. He still had not seen Aiko since she ran off when he chose Minha over her. His stomach clenched at a memory of Aiko and him sparring. "Anyone else?" he asked the rest of the council. Two other names were thrown out. A vote between the four ended up coming down to Aiko and Kohaku. On bated breath, the vote ended with Kohaku as the choice for Mukuro's hostage.

"Kohaku will go as Mukuro's hostage. But, if someone chooses to go in his place, then the volunteer will go instead," Hayate suggested. A majority of the council, including Minha, agreed with that clause.


	13. Chapter 13

"How dare you!" Yasha howled as he stormed furiously into Hayate's private room with a scowling Minha hot on his heels. Hayate was taken aback by the two of them practically cornering him. Minha had herself stormed away from Hayate after the council meeting was done. He was glad for it after she had suggested Aiko for Mukuro's hostage.

"How dare I what?" Hayate said, rounding right back at both of them.

"How dare you embarrass her, embarrass me, embarrass our family, and then go after my-"

"Hiroto deserved what I did to him," Hayate answered back, standing right up close to Yasha. "He deserves more."

"Then why don't you send him as a hostage instead Kohaku," Yasha argued while shoving Hayate back for good measure. He then closed the distance between them and made to strike him.

Before Yasha's blow could strike home, Hayate grabbed him by his wrist, twisted him around, pinned his arm between the two of them, and pulled him in tightly with across his chest and upper arms. Yasha struggled against him, but was unable to break free of his hold. He glanced over to where Minha was standing a distance away from the two of them looking even more furious.

"Let him go," Minha ordered.

Hayate ignored her, still mad at her for suggesting Aiko for Mukuro's hostage. He figured now it was for revenge for removing her father from the council, even if it was so to protect her from him. "What is Kohaku to you Yasha?" he asked steadily, tentatively looking at Yasha's unpinned hand to ensure it was gloved. He felt more comfortable knowing it was. Yasha clenched his jaw, struggling again in Hayate's hold. Hayate noticed he looked suddenly rather frightened.

"They are just friends," Minha answered for him.

"He can speak for himself," Hayate told her without looking at her. "Tell me Yasha. And I just might decide to send your father in Kohaku's place after all." Yasha kept his mouth shut, kicking now at Hayate's lower legs with no hardly any force. "Speak."

Yasha's body seem to relax heavily and he spoke softly "I'm in love him." Hayate broke his hold of Yasha and shoved him down to the ground while Minha gasped in horror. Yasha had landed on his hands and knees, keeping his head down low.

Minha went over to him and knelt beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You don't mean that," she said softly. "You can love him yes as a friend, but you cannot be in love with him."

"He said what he meant to say," Hayate responded to her. She looked at him, clearly still annoyed with him. "He can't lie to me remember."

"No," she shook her head. "No. He's not like that," she hissed at Hayate. "He's a good man, not some mad fiend like your cousin was." To Yasha, she spoke with pointless hope. "Tell him you misspoke."

"When did you suspect... us?" Yasha asked. "I was hiding it. Because he was-is... unsure."

Minha stood up and drew back from him. "You can't," she breathed.

"Why?" he snarled at her, looking suddenly vicious at her from his vulnerable position. "Because were men? Because we can't have children together? Because now that your the gunjuneun, I'm heir to our father's seat on the council?"

She shook her head at him, speechless. Hayate took his chance to speak finally. "I saw the two of you the night I mate claimed your sister. I've been suspicious ever since. I could have the two of you exiled for this."

Yasha rose shakily to his feet, head still downcast. "Oh, you were suspicious when I was helping her care for you when all you would do was sleep and not speak to hardly anyone?" he questioned nastily. "Even Kohaku would help us when I begged him to. And now you threaten to send him to Mukuro or exile him." Yasha turned around to face Hayate with a cold gaze. "I will not let you do either to him."

"Does he love you back?" Hayate asked, taking a step back from Yasha's gaze involuntarily.

"No," Yasha swallowed painfully. "He's not like me." Yasha took a steadying breath. "He had just refused me right before you saw me with him last."

"A pity," Hayate replied. "So, based on your own admission, only you should be exiled. That's what I've done with my father, that's what he's done alone. That's what my grandfather and great grandmother had done before."

Yasha looked away from him and down to the ground, feeling defeated. "Please don't send Kohaku to Mukuro," he begged desperately as he dropped to his knees before Hayate. "That man is a monster. Look what he did to your father and my sister. I'll do anything. Please."

"Go in his place," Hayate suggested. Yasha looked up at him suddenly hopeful. "Go in his place in place of the exile you deserve. And when you get there, use those hands of yours and tell Mukuro he will hold himself to his and Minha's treaty and leave the clan at peace."

Yasha frowned up at him in confusion and shock. "How do you know about what I can do?" Hayate backed up as Yasha stood up again. "Who told you?" he demanded. He went to put his hands around Hayate's collar, but Hayate smacked his hands out of the way. "Who? My father? Your father?"

"I did," Minha spoke up sheepishly.

Yasha stiffened at her admission before turning around to face her and approach her. "When? Why?" She stood her ground against him even though she was afraid of him now. "What did I ever do to you that you would betray me like that? I've protected you. Loved you. I helped you with him. Why?" he asked again as he came to stand uncomfortably close in front of her.

She looked away from him and towards Hayate. "It was part of the deal I made with him to get him to mate claim me," she admitted. "It was his idea."

"You told me he demanded you bless him with six children and that you would bless or curse anyone he told you to," Yasha countered. "Are you telling me your betrayal was part of the deal as well? You power hungry-."

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone our deal," Hayate interrupted, growing even more annoyed with her by the minute. "Your silence was part of the agreement as well."

Minha rounded on him next. "And what are you going to do about it now then? Shame my father and send my brother away. So I can be just as alone as you are now." She turned her gaze to Yasha and hugged him before he could shove her away. "I'm sorry," she told him while he pushed her away by her shoulders. Hayate felt annoyed at how he touched her.

"You don't even love him, you just wanted the power that came with being his mate," Yasha said to Minha. He turned to Hayate and spoke. "You don't love her, you just wanted her to bless you and others at your order and to betray me. And yet at my admission of loving another man, I'm the one who has to be sent away. That's rich." He backed up to stand equal distance between the two of them. "I don't know which one of you sicken me more," he told the two of them. To Hayate he spoke "I'll go in Kohaku's place so long as you make a deal with me. I go instead and in return you will not punish Kohaku for how I feel about him in any way. In fact, you'll give him my father's old seat on the council since if I'm going to be Mukuro's hostage, someone will have to sit there and I want him to have it." He looked at Minha with a mix of pity and distrust. "And she doesn't have to bless or curse anyone for you ever."

Hayate looked between Minha and Yasha standing before him. "Agreed," he said tensely.

"Do I need to force you into a blood bond or tell you to keep your word or should I just trust you," he gave Minha a side glance. "Both of you."

"If you want a blood bond, draw your knife. I'll give you that willingly," Hayate told him while he held his hand to him cautiously. Yasha stepped towards him, drawing his knife while he approached. Keeping his gloves on, he sliced across his own palm first and Hayate's outstretched palm next. Both men joined hands, letting their wound touch and blood intermingle. "I go to Mukuro in Kohaku's place. I will order him to keep his treaty with Minha and leave the clan in peace. Kohaku will not be punished for my love for him. Kohaku will take my seat on the council. Minha no longer has to agree to bless or curse anyone for you."

"Agreed," Hayate responded. He tightened his grip on Yasha's hand and let it go. He wiped his still bleeding hand on his pants.

"Now I know I can trust you at least," Yasha spat at him. He turned away from Hayate and looked at Minha. "You should know her blessings don't always work the way she wants them too. She blessed our mother to have another child. I am the result. But, another result is that our mother never fully recovered from giving birth to me. She was never able to have another child after that. It was eventually what killed her." Hayate looked nervous. "Keep that in mind."


	14. Chapter 14

Hayate, and the council, including the newly entitled Kohaku and the steely silent Minha, watched Yasha leave the next morning. Minha behaved surprisingly formal and hardly emotional with him when they said good bye. Kohaku looked extremely uncomfortable when he said good bye. Hayate had told Kohaku that Yasha had volunteered to go to Mukuro in his place in return for Kohaku taking his seat on the council. He had also vaguely warned him to find a mate sooner rather then later.

After Yasha had left, the rest of the day Hayate saw Minha seemingly just going through the motions of the day; looking very tired, talking very little, eating very little, and seemingly just ignoring anything she could ignore. Half way through dinner, she excused herself from the meal on the pretense of not feeling well. Hayate watched her go, at first relieved because he was still angry with her for suggesting Aiko, for being angry with him for taking her father off the council, and that she told Yasha the deal they made for her to become his mate. The second emotion that crept up on him was concern. About ten minutes after she had left, he left himself to find her. Her father had not been seen since he was removed from the council and Hayate worried what he might do to her if he found her alone.

He found her still alone, thankfully, in their bedroom. He heard her crying outside the door, but when he went into the room, she heard him come in and stopped herself mid-cry as she sat hunched up on their bed. "What do you want now?" she asked him spitefully as she stopped crying rather suddenly.

Hayate approached her cautiously, sitting down at the edge of the bed. She tensed up even more, half freezing in place. She stared hard in front of her, arms wrapped around her knees tightly. He reached a hand over to her and placed it on her shoulder, pulling her towards him. She stayed stiff as he pulled her in her arms. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I did what I thought was right..." he said, not half believing the words to sum up the whole situation himself. His hand rested on her lower back, rubbing there, yet she still did not relax in his grip.

"You embarrassed me in front of the council," she hissed. "You chased my father away. You sent my brother away." She tried to push away from his grasp, but gave up just as quickly as she started. "You made me just as alone in this world as you."

"You're not as alone as I am," he told her, pulling her closer. "Your father deserved what he got for striking you. He's lucky he is still alive."

"I didn't ask you defend me. If he's alive, then where is he?"

"Missing."

"Of course."

"Your brother's going to protect the clan and be under Mukuro's protection."

"If he doesn't kill him first."

He felt himself growing real frustrated with her real fast. "What do you want me to say?"

"Was I that bad of a mate when I took your place when you couldn't lead? It feels like you're punishing me for it by taking my family away from me."

"No, that's not what I've done."

"It what feels like you've done."

"Your father-"

"Is still my father. No matter what he did to me. If I wanted your protection from him, I would have asked for it. My brother did that and now you sent him away."

"He's the only one who can hold Mukuro to your treaty. The best chance we've got."

"Because I didn't have it written right to hold Mukuro to his word."

He grabbed her chin roughly, turning her head up so he could look her in her eyes as best he could. Surprisingly, she met his gaze with her own sharp gaze. "Nothing I've done was meant to hurt you." He brought his lips to hers, kissing her as softly as he could. "You're all I've got left."

"And now you're all I've got left too," she said clearly before broke down and cried against him. He held her, feeling rather uncomfortable as she continued to cry.


	15. Chapter 15

After a long journey, Yasha and his small guard had finally arrived at Mukuro's castle. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of it and its obvious lack of aesthetics. It did not look like a tempting to settle down and live there for who knew how long. With his guard, he made up to the front door and knocked on it. The man who open the door wore an ice blue colored mask over his face that covered everything but his eyes.

Yasha sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Does everyone here have to wear a mask?" he asked rudely to the man.

"And who might you be?" the man asked steadily, looking Yasha over and then the man and the women in his guard behind them.

"Mukuro's new friend from the Hayato clan, at your service. Yasha," he gave a mock bow. "And you are?"

"Kirin. Your new lord's right hand," the man responded as he gestured for Yasha to enter the castle. Yasha stepped in around him, but when his guard started to follow him, Kirin blocked their way. "We only asked for one bird. And the expected one has arrived. Fly home," he told them with a laugh.

Yasha nodded and bade his good byes to the them before following Kirin through the castle. At the entry way, he paused briefly to pull his gloves off and put them in his pocket, followed quickly by his own hands. He looked around the castle as Kirin lead him around and around the place. Kirin's goal seemed to be to get Yasha disoriented, but it failed as soon as Yasha saw the same hallway near the main entrance for the second time. After that, Yasha was able to figure out the basic layout of the castle. Eventually they arrived at a doorway where Kirin stopped and knocked.

"Finally," Yasha grumbled, kicking his stiff knee out to loosen the stiffness there. It gave a rather relaxing crack. Kirin gave him a look that told him to shut up. "It was a long walk," he goaded.

Kirin turned away from Yasha and opened the door as it gave a loud, high pitched groan. He walked in with Yasha right behind him. Yasha looked around the room, seeing Mukuro sitting in a chair, shifting through papers at a small table next to him. He did not look up when the two men entered the room. Behind him was a something roughly the height of a man, twice as wide, and covered with a white sheet. Yasha looked around the room, taking in the scenery around him just in case he needed to use something there to defend himself from the two men with him.

Kirin approached Mukuro and bowed. "My lord, I bring your hostage from the Hayato clan-"

Yasha brushed passed Kirin impertinently and bowed even lower than he did. "Yasha. Son of Hiroto. Brother in law to Hayate VIII. Possible descendant of the old Demon World's royal family. If you believe those rumors. I myself have my doubts," he finished with a laugh, standing up straight and flashing a smile towards Mukuro. From what he could tell, Mukuro was looking at him rather curiously. "We've met before, remember me?" he asked playfully and carefully; cautious that if he over irked Mukuro, the man could kill him where he stood. Just wanting to throw the man off balance just enough to also allow him to stay alive.

Mukuro waited a heavy pause before answering Yasha. "You're the boy who tried to lie to me," Mukuro recalled. "With that small bird of woman who sign this treaty with me." He tapped the papers with a gentle hand. Yasha noticed there was a gap between his glove and the sleeve of his hand, exposing a bit of bare flesh beneath.

To keep his mind off of it in case the rumor of Mukuro's ability to read minds was true, Yasha yawned, feigning boredom. "What a difficult task you had. Sitting across from Minha to fill that treaty out. How patient you were with someone so terrified of you. I've never seen my sister so polite before. She finally found someone better than herself to respect."

Mukuro stood up slowly, ordering Kirin out of them room. Kirin bowed low and obeyed. He gave an a nerving laugh as he left. Next, Mukuro turned away from Yasha and sauntered over to the shape hidden beneath the white sheet. When he came near the sheet and beckoned Yasha over.

Yasha approached after him cautiously, tensing up to defend himself if necessary. "What's that you've got there hidden under the sheet?" he asked playfully when he was near enough to Mukuro. Mukuro did not step away as Yasha stood just over an arm's length away from him.

"A surprise for you," Mukuro responded, reaching his right arm up to reach the top of the sheet to pull it down.

Yasha saw what would probably have been his best and only chance and seized it. As Mukuro pulled the sheet down with his right hand, Yasha closed the distance between them, reached his hands down to Mukuro's left wrist and pushed the sleeve rapidly out of the way to give contact between Mukuro's skin and his own two hands that clung there. "Protect me," he rushed out so fast he could hardly understand the words he had said. Mukuro had released his hold of the sheet as soon as Yasha had touched him with the plan to bring his hand down to strike Yasha for touching him, but he stalled his hand before it reached Yasha as if it refused to obey his own orders. The sheet fell to the ground ignored. Mukuro seemed shocked, staring hard at his own trembling right hand he could not get to move any closer to Yasha. "You will honor your treaty with Minha." Mukuro's body began shaking with the desire to not harm Yasha fighting with the desire to kill him now. "Anytime I ask to touch you, you will offer me your bare hand willingly." Mukuro had stopped trying to attack him and was now trying to pulled his hand from Yasha's hands without harming Yasha. Yasha hardly struggled to keep hold of him. "In a natural course of time, you will come to see me as a loyal friend and adviser," he finished with a shake of his hands to let Mukuro's wrist go, panting and sweating profusely at the sudden overcharged use of his own spirit energy. Mukuro's will was strong, so taking control of it had been difficult even though it took a split second to happen. His stomach rolled with a small wave a nausea.

Mukuro approached him shaking while Yasha backed away nervously, even though he now knew Mukuro would not harm him now or ever. "You wretched brat! What did you do to me? Why won't I kill you?" Mukuro stopped moving and dropped to his knees shaking with his arms crossed tightly around his chest. "I... want to... kill... you...now!"

"Well," Yasha said taking a steadying breath. "You never will. You're body rebel and die before you can." Yasha dug back into his pocket and pulled his gloves back out, putting them back onto his hands as he spoke. "This is why I am your hostage. I volunteered for it to hold you to your treaty. I'm stuck here in a sort of exile with you, but at least I know my people are safe from you and I am safe with you." He spat on the ground for good measure.

Mukuro's body finally stopped shaking when he decided he would not kill Yasha. He rose back to his feet, eyes on Yasha. "You won't touch me again like that," he ordered.

"Don't give me a reason to," Yasha countered. Then he heaved a sigh. "But since you've taken over the Hayato clan and are held above even Hayate himself now," he pulled his new short sword from him waist and knelt down on one knee, "I believe, hmm, tradition dictates I tell you I swear my allegiance to you. You are the rightful king of the Demon World, are you not?"

Mukuro's body began to tremble again. He gave a shout of frustration and kicked Yasha's sword away from him. The sword skittered across the floor and came to a clanking halt at the base of what was hidden under the sheet that had been completely forgotten about. Yasha's eyes followed the sword and traveled up past it where he saw a large, gold plated metal bird cage. In it lay a slumped over body with chains around his or her wrists and ankles. The poor wretch looked like he or she had not been fed or washed in days. At the sound of the clanking sword, the wretch shook awake, looking very frightened. Yasha stared dumbstruck at the sight of his father in the cage. He rose up from his knees unbid and moved towards the cage. He reached his hand through the bar towards Hiroto who cowered back from him.

Mukuro started to laugh cruelly at Yasha's surprise. "You know him?"

Yasha felt anger dwelling up inside of him as he glowered back over to Mukuro. "What did you do to him?"

"Well, he came to me a few days after I left your people," Mukuro commented with a laugh. "Came here uninvited, demanding I release my claim over the Hayato territory and leave his people in peace. I thought he was my hostage at first, but once I 'asked' him nicely, he divulged a great deal of information about your clan for me. Slowly at first, but before his tongue was cut out, he practically sang like a canary. Seems like you all may be strong, but isolating. Shame I can't get anymore out of him. I just got so sick of his endless demands that I had his tongue removed to spare me the migraine all his shouting and screaming caused." Yasha kept his hand outstretched to Hiroto and his gaze on him. Hiroto kept his eyes on Mukuro, fearing shining in them. Yasha heard Mukuro step up close behind him. "I kept him alive until you my hostage, could see him, as a warning," Mukuro conjured up a red ball of energy in his hand, "that if any other clan members come to me making demands, I will not be as merciful to them as I was to Hiroto," he finished as he threw the ball into the cage, striking Hiroto in the chest painfully. Hiroto gave a guttural, voiceless scream before slumping over in the cage dead. Yasha watched it all in wide eyed horror. His brought his hand back to his side. "Who did you say your father is again?"

"Let me burn him," Yasha said when he finally found his voice through the fog of pain and grief threatening to engulf him. "That's how we lay our dead to rest. Please."

"I think not boy. He told me about your Great Hawk Spirit. The mother of all the Hayate clan. The hawk demon who rescued an orphaned wind demon and raised him as her own child. She watched him grow old and die many years later, leaving behind his mate, children, and grandchildren. And then she seemingly died with him, but instead she left the living worlds and ushered him into the dreams of his loved ones. And, now countless years later, she continues to do so with any descendant of his since if they so choose. Then they can commune one last time with someone they had met when they were living. Catch is, you have to burn the body first. So no, you can't burn him. Last thing I need is that insufferable talker haunting my dreams."

Yasha stood up and rounded on Mukuro. "Give me hand you wretch," he ordered. With surprise, Mukuro held his left hand out to him. In an afterthought like movement, he gripped his left wrist with his right hand, trying to pulling it back from Yasha. Yasha pulled his gloves off and then pulled Mukuro's glove off. "You will let me put him to rest," he eked out. "Tonight." He was tempted to drop Mukuro's hand then and there, but paused, thinking hard. "Show me your face." He dropped his hold on Mukuro's hand and put his gloves back on while Mukuro began shakily unwrapping the bandages and removing the scrolls from his face. When he finished, Yasha looked at him in shock. "You're a woman!" he exclaimed.


	16. Chapter 16

Hiei sat on the steps of the porch with his cloak laying over the railing, leaning against the railing as he cleaned and polished his current sword, the one stolen from that injured man and shrill, screaming woman months before. In the time between then and now, he had found Shigure who gave him the Jagan Eye in exchange for his life story, motivation for getting the Jagan Eye, and a promise that would be easy to keep. All the money and items and he had stolen from the injured man and shrill woman were useless when offered to Shigure. He kept them on hand, even the strange square coin he had found in the smaller bag he had stolen. Shigure had vaguely said that the square coin he stole was the most valuable item he took from that pair. The only item of use to him was the sword he had stolen now that he was recovering his strength and learning more about the art of swordsmanship from Shigure. His old sword had broken during training two weeks in, so now he used the stolen one to train. The sword had a better balance then the old one and it felt more natural in his hand. He was half tempted to pick the jewels out of its hilt to sell them, but decided against it in case it threw off the balance. He inspected the thin steel carefully, looking for any more stains to buffer out. He tensed up when he sensed two figures approaching. He jumped from the porch, sword drawn and at the ready. He heard Shigure come out of his home and walk up behind him, tensing himself up for battle as well. From the woods emerged two thin figures walking very close together, a man and a woman. The man was taller and had short, light brown hair. A narrow short sword was sheathed at his waist and a heavy rucksack on his back. The woman had long greenish-blue hair tied up in a high pony tail. The woman was leaning against the man somewhat dependently as he lead her by both hands. The man, upon seeing Hiei and Shigure, pulled the woman closer to him.

"Are one of you Shigure the osteopath? The Doctor of Darkness?" the man called out to the two of them.

"Whose asking?" Shigure called back out to the pair.

The man reached deep inside of his tunic and pulled out an small bag of coins. "I am. My... um... friend and I here come from the Demon City. She was attacked. Struck on the back of the head by her assailant before I could kill him myself. She hasn't been able to see since. The healers we found couldn't restore her sight. I was told you were the only one who could possibly give her her sight back."

"I can pay," the woman said. Her eyes were open, but she moved her head about without seeing.

"We can pay," the man said, holding the woman close to his side. "And if that is not enough, I'll work for you to pay off the remaining debt owed. I'll do whatever work you wish if you just help her."

Shigure looked the two over for a few long moments and nodded. He looked over to the pair, holding his hand out. The man lead the woman forward so fast she faltered a bit. The man slowed down his pace for her as they approached Hiei and Shigure. After a glance, the man kept his body between Hiei and the woman when they reached Shigure. Shigure stretched his hand down towards the woman, but she did not seem to realize it was there without her sight.

The man went to put his hand in Shigure's when Shigure spoke up. "No," Shigure said. "Not you." He slipped his hand softly around the woman's hand, detaching it from the man's hand. "Come my dear. Tell me your story and you may get your sight back." The moved her head up and towards the direction of Shigure's voice. Shigure pulled her hand slowly as he stepped backwards very slowly and carefully. The man made to keep with her. "No, you stay here. She and I will speak in private."

The man started to protest, but the woman laid her other hand clumsily on his arm. "Ren, it's okay. I'll see you soon," she said with a small smile. Shigure resumed pulling the woman away from Ren and leading her up the steps and into the house carefully.

"Michi," the man whispered, watching the pair walk into the house. He looked down at Hiei and asked while dropping his rucksack to the ground "is she going to be okay with him?"

"Hn, what do I care," Hiei responded without a thought.

He sat back down on the steps and pulled his sword out again, inspecting it for any places in need of work. Shigure could take several hours if not days performing surgery on the woman, which meant sword fighting lessons were canceled until then. Which also meant boredom would ensue until then as well. The man, Ren, paced back and forth around the ground in a mix of impatience and worry. He kept trying ask Hiei questions, but had given up when he received either a rude comment or rude silence for a response. Once bored with cleaning his already pristine sword, Hiei set the sword down carefully to lean against the steps and pulled the hair clip he had stolen from the shrill woman from his pocket. He had picked two of the seven jewels off of it, figuring they would sell for a higher price as just gems instead of a jeweled hair clip. He was about to take the tip of the sword to a pry a third gem out of the hair clip when Ren decided to talk again.

"What is that?" he asked curiously as he came over to stand near Hiei's sitting form, looking skittish. "Whoa... where did you get that? Why are you prying the gems from it? It's too pretty to do that?" Hiei looked up annoyed at Ren for talking again. Ren swallowed thickly and asked "can I see it?"

"No," Hiei answered while trying to work the tip of the sword under the next gem.

Ren looked down at him and frowned nervously. He looked back towards the house and repeated an earlier question. "How long will she be in there?" His question was met with silence. "Can I buy that hair clip off you? Without you prying the other gems out of it?" He pulled the small bag of coins he had shown earlier. "That is rather beautiful. The gems match Michi's eyes." He looked nervously back towards the house again.

"It's not for sale," Hiei responded as he finally popped the third gem from the clip.

"Please," Ren pleaded. "I'll give you a little bit of the money I have for it. We heard Shigure's services are costly. I have to save some for that. Whatever he doesn't charge us, you can have the rest for that clip."

"I'm not interested in your money. Or would Shigure be for that matter. He charges in life stories, secrets, and difficult promises; not money."

"Oh," Ren said, taking in the information Hiei had given him. "In that case, I'd be willing to give you half the money I have for the clip."

"No."

"Three quarters of it?"

"No."

"All of it?"

"No."

Ren seemed to be growing rather frustrated. "Then what do you want for it?" Hiei looked Ren up and down, unimpressed by the demon standing before him. He seemed like a weak, scrawny, gaunt demon. Ren seemed still more determined then ever to get the hair clip from Hiei. He put his hand on the hilt of the small sword on his waist. "I'll duel you for it. Winner gets the hair clip."

Hiei sighed, annoyed with the nuisance Ren was turning out to be. He looked like he should be easy enough to defeat and like a good enough way to kill time while Shigure operated on Michi. They had been away long enough that the woman must have had an interesting enough story that Shigure would be doing the surgery after all. "Fine," Hiei replied, putting the hair clip back in his pocket.

Both men moved until they were standing a few paces apart from each other, swords drawn and at the ready. Ren's sword had a short blade and was almost as thin as a needle at the point. Ren swung his sword out with a flare and bowed politely to Hiei. Hiei gave him a nod of his head in return. To prolong the duel, Hiei let Ren attack first. The man's novice skill showed almost immediately even though he moved swiftly and fluidly; more like a dancer than a swordsman. He kept his left arm tucked behind his back while he fought. After a while, of only countering Ren's attack enough to stave off injury, Hiei grew bored and easily swept Ren's sword from his hand and pressed his own sword against Ren's neck.

"Dead," Hiei proclaimed, echoing what Shigure would say and do in their own training sessions. He pulled his sword back from Ren's neck and sheathed it. He pulled the hair clip out of his pocket and held it up tauntingly before Ren's grumpy and tired form. "Guess I get to keep this after all."

Ren grumbled under his breath. "What else do you want for it?" he asked desperately.

Hiei put the hair clip back in his pocket. "Can you speed up time? Unless you have a better idea for how to kill the next couple of hours while Shigure operates on your friend, I'm going to have to deal with you for with for who knows how long."

Ren looked downcast at first and then hopeful. He had retrieved his own sword and sheathed it at his waist. "Well, I can't speed up time, but I could help you pass it in another way," he said suggestively. Hiei frowned at him. "So long as you give me the hair clip at the end of it."

"What are you suggesting exactly?"

Ren chose his next words carefully. "Michi and I worked together in Demon City. It's where we met. The brothel there pays us very well and has taught us quite well how to please just about anyone. I don't have anything you could catch either if your worried about that."

Hiei barked a laugh in reaction to the man's newest offer. "Why do want this hair clip you just saw so badly that you'll offer me first your money, then a duel, and now your body?"

Ren paused. "For Michi."

Hiei sighed and rolled his eyes at Ren's almost declaration of love for Michi. "Top or bottom?" he asked, wondering which one of the two of them was more desperate; the one offering for a hair clip for his 'friend' or the one deciding to accept the offer because it had been awhile and would help pass the time.

Ren looked at him confused and then excited. "Whatever you want," he replied, eyeing the hair clip desperately.

Hiei walked away from Ren and up towards the front door of the house. He paused and looked back at him, holding the hair clip up tauntingly. Ren paused, looking a bit apprehensive, and then ran up the steps after him. Hiei led him to his own simple bedroom with sparse furniture and a single futon with one pillow lay at the right side of small room. He left the door open in case Ren decided to follow him in after all. He sat the hair clip down on the low table by the futon. Ren stood in the doorway, unsure about what he had originally offered to do. He took a hesitating step back and looked down the hallway.

"Is Michi nearby?" Ren questioned.

"No. The other side of the building. Scared she'll hear you when I make you scream?" Ren looked surprised by his question. "It's obvious you're in love with her. Yet you offer your body to me to do what ever I want and then followed me in here. Change your mind?" He leaned the back of his legs against the low table.

The egging seemed to give Ren the courage to step into the room and close the distance between him and Hiei. "She won't mind if I'm paid. Just like I don't mind if she is." He stood really close to Hiei, almost pressing up against him. His hands slowly came to rest on Hiei's hips. His eyes peered past Hiei's body and looked down at the hair clip. "What do you want to do?" he asked as he leaned his face down and kissed Hiei briefly on his lips.

Hiei gave a soft click of his tongue against his teeth and pushed Ren down to the floor in the direction of the futon, causing him to land part way on it with a gasp of surprise. Hiei brought him straddling down over Ren, knees around his sides and hands pressed down on his shoulders. "Scared boy?" he teased.

Ren looked up at him confused and hesitantly shook his head. He brought his hands up to the hem of Hiei's shirt and pulled the fabric up and towards him. Hiei sat up straight, teasingly pressing his hips down against Ren's stomach so the man beneath him would know of his growing arousal. It had been too long in a the very thin demon beneath could arouse him. Ren looked like a scrawny demon, but with his line of work, this could be an enjoyable way to pass the time. He took his shirt from Ren's hands and pulled it over his head. Ren's hands shifted then to unclasping the two belts around Hiei's pants, and then unzipping and unbuttoning them.

When he reached his hands to pull his cock out, Hiei commented "you're in a hurry boy" debating whether or not to stay Ren's hands. He decided after a minute of teasing to stop him by smacking his hands away. Ren looked up at him confused. "That's not what I want." Without another word, Hiei shifted off of Ren, pushed him out of the way, and leaned his back against the wall at the top of the futon. He put a hand on his cock and beckoned Ren forward. Ren crawled himself over to Hiei's reclining form and kissed at his neck while bringing his hand to rest on Hiei's cock again. "Still not what I want boy," he said as he pushed Ren's head down. Understanding this time, Ren brought his mouth around Hiei's cock and began slowly and gently to suck on it. His hands came to rest on Ren's head, pulling at his short hair. When he felt close, Ren seemed to notice as he began to move faster and moan as he moved. The unexpected vibrations made him shutter pleasantly. When he came, Ren brought his mouth down all the way and swallowed quickly. He pulled his mouth off of him and sat back on his hunches panting while Hiei laid his head back against the wall, relaxing after the decent blow job.

Ren looked at Hiei who looked ready to fall asleep, unsure if he wanted to continue. Ren cautious reached over to the low table for the hair clip, but his hand was smacked down by Hiei. "I thought we might have been done," he responded, pulling his hands back towards his chest.

Debating mentally for a second, Hiei decided to continue this to help pass more time. "You don't want touched as well boy?" he asked before jumping on him and pushing the puzzled looking Ren down on his back with Hiei on top of him. Hiei brought his hand down between Ren's thighs, planning to pet there teasingly until his hand met something different then expected, he stopped. There was nothing hard or even substantial there. "The hell?" he commented, bringing his other hand underneath Ren's jaw. "You're a woman?" he asked incredulously.

Ren swallowed nervously, nodded, and explained rapidly "I disguised myself as a man while traveling with Michi as it was safer for both of us. We were less likely to attacked on our journey here if we were a man and woman traveling together rather then two women. I thought you figured out I was a woman when I said I worked in a brothel and then offered to sleep with you."

Hiei clicked his tongue against teeth, took his hand from her jaw, and debated what to do next. He shrugged and decided to keep going, even though he usually preferred men over women. He brought his hand between her thighs up to the top of her pants and undoing them before slipping his hand down there. When he began just pushing three fingers roughly into her opening, she gasped in surprise and pain and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"That hurts," she grumbled. "You can't just shove your hand up there and expect me to like it. Have you ever touched a woman before?" she snapped.

He brought his hand back underneath her jaw, gripping tight enough to make her wince. "Then how do you want it?" he growled, tempted to stop here and let her take the hair clip now anyway.

"One finger, brought inside slowly and gently, leave it in and curl your finger around towards the front. Don't just shove in and out and expect it feel good," she grumbled. He tried again, doing what she told him and getting her to start moaning quietly at first and then louder as time went on and he inserted a second finger in with his first. She reached her hand over to his hardening cock and started rubbing it in time with his own teasing. She started swearing as she got closer and began involuntarily bucking her hips. When she came, she tensed her whole body up and gave a shout pleasing to Hiei's ears. He took his hand from her panting form looked down at her temptingly. His desire to continue with her shattered when she opened her mouth and breathed one word "Michi..." She caught herself a little too late and opened her eyes and looked up at him suddenly frightened. "I mean- I'm sorry I don't know your name-I-"

"What the fuck did you just say?" Hiei hissed as he pinned her down by her shoulders. Ren looked up at him in sheer horror as her body curled up and shook beneath him. He stood up and pull her up roughly by her shirt, purposefully touching her chest quickly and curiously, noticing she was practically flat chested for a woman. "Get out," he said as he shoved her towards the door angrily. She bumped into the door and froze, staring at the low table. He followed her gaze and saw the hair clip was still sitting there. He picked it up and threw it out the door past her. She flinched frightfully as it sailed passed her head. "I said get out," he snapped at her menacingly.

After being told twice, she ran out the door, clumsily scooped up the hair clip and continued running until she was out the front door and stopped at the railing around the porch, panting heavily and frightfully. She slipped down and leaned her body against the railing, clutching the hair clip to her chest desperately. Saying Michi's name while in bed with a client like that fire demon whose name she did not even know seemed like a good way to get them both killed.

Ren waited anxiously for the next few hours outside of the house for Michi come out the door, dreading what might happened if the fire demon came out first. Thankfully, after a long wait, a now bald Michi and Shigure were the ones who came out of the front door. Ren jumped at the sight of them and ran to Michi, pulling the shorter woman tightly into her arms and ignored Shigure. "Michi," she whispered. She loosened her grip on her and looked down at her anxiously. "Can you see me?" she asked on bated breath.

"I can," Michi responded, looking her in the eyes. "I can see you look a bit disheveled," she teased.

"Uh... um.. Your hair?" Ren managed to say. Her hands touched the back of the woman's head gently. "I uh earned this for you," she said, showing Michi the hair clip "but I guess I... uh," she babbled the sentence to an ending.

"I had to have removed for the surgery. It'll grow back," she answered with a small smile that made Ren's heart feel like it would melt.

"Thank you so much," Ren sputtered out to Shigure who just nodded with a knowing smile.

Michi took Ren's hands and tugged her to follow her down the steps and away from the house. "There is one promise I had to make..." Michi began as she lead Ren away at a rather quick pace.

Shigure watched the two of them leave and waited patiently for Hiei to jump down from his hiding place between the porch roof's rafters. Once he did so smoothly, Shigure spoke. "So, while I was operating on the once blinded one, you were entertaining the androgynous one."

Hiei twitched at the dig, but ignored the baiting. "What promise did Michi have to make to get you do to do the surgery on her?" he sneered at the woman's name with contempt.

Shigure gave a sly smile. "She and Ren planned to save up their money and one day retire from their brothel and become mates. For the surgery, I made Michi promise never to become Ren's mate."

"Fitting," Hiei responded, happy enough with the outcome after Ren said the other woman's name in bed.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hiei, slow down," Kurama winced out while Hiei fucked him from behind. Time had passed since he had last messed around with Ren; Hiei had left Shigure's, found the Ice Maiden's floating world, and eventually made it to the Human World in search of Yukina and met and fought with Kurama. Now the two of them were currently planning on stealing the Three Artifacts of Darkness from the Spirit World with Goki in two days time. Now the two of them were in Kurama's bedroom, trying for a third time their hand at being lovers.

Hiei growled and pulled at Kurama's long red hair, bringing his head up from the bed with an annoyed grunt. "I thought you were a demon, even if you are in a human's body. I figured by now you would be used to me," Hiei countered as he slowed his thrusting down slightly.

Kurama gave an temperamental grunt and shoved Hiei off and away from him. "I told you not to pull my hair," Kurama panted out, pulling the blanket from him bed over his lower body. From the irritable look on his face, they were finished for tonight and there was little chance there would be another night.

"Don't go so hard. Don't pull your hair. Don't bite you. Don't smack your ass. Don't threaten you," Hiei snapped at him. "What can I do to you?"

"You can keep your distance until we steal the artifacts with Goki the day after tomorrow. After that, I don't think I'll have to tell you no after tonight."

Hiei looked at him, annoyed he would not be sleeping with Kurama again, or anyone else, any time soon, but confused by his last sentence. "What exactly are you planning to do with the Forlorn Hope?" he asked.

"To use it," he responded vaguely.


	18. Chapter 18

Kurama waited patiently outside the principle's office of Meiou High School, thinking over the new terms of his and Hiei's parole in the human world after Yusuke got the Three Dark Artifacts back from them. He had arrived at school earlier in the morning then usual with the new girl's file in hand. At the end of the last week prior was when the principle had approached him about greeting the new girl to the school and showing her around for the first few days as the two of them would have five classes together. At first, he had tried to turn the principle down lest he would have to deal with yet another girl chasing after him like half the other girls in the school, but the man had been rather insistent when he handed Kurama the new girl's file to look over. Once he saw her photo on the front cover of the file however, he changed his mind and accepted the task with new found intrigue. The new girl looked almost exactly like Yusuke Urameshi and had the same last name as him as well. Upon looking over her file, it was more accurate to say Yusuke looked like her as she was about two years older then he was. The poor, new girl's parents had passed away in a train accident in another city earlier that month and she had been moved to the city to live with her father's younger sister and her child. He could not tell from the photo, but the new girl did not seem like she could be very strong physically or spiritually like her cousin, but based on the list of her interests in her file saying she liked reading, cooking, and seemed to show an affinity for working with 'technological gadgets,' she may or may not be strong in either way.

The principle, vice principle, and office secretary arrived at the office shortly after Kurama had and had let him in there to wait for the new girl. He made small talk with them in the main part of the office for about five minutes when the new girl showed up at the door. She had opened the door so slowly that the vice principle shifted in a bit of agitation. She paused at the entryway, clutching her school bag tightly in one hand and had the other hand up in a fist by her mouth. Her eyes were trained to the floor. The red school uniform with a yellow stitching she wore was not very flattering for her somewhat slim figure. At first glance she did not seem like she was very physically strong, but she not to the point where she would be picked last in gym class. From what he could see of her legs under her black socks and below her skirt, she was no stranger to running. At first sight and sense of the girl, he could tell she had a hint of spirit energy coursing in her veins. It felt almost metallic and seemed to be mostly newly formed. Likely grief, an ever motivator for spirit energy to grow, over her parents death had brought it out of her and her emotions in the aftermath had encouraged it to grow. Likely she also had not yet realized it was there as her life had been turned upside down in the last few weeks that something like that could go amiss in swirl of everything else going on.

The principle cleared his throat, which made the girl jump and look up at him. Her weak spirit energy gave a slight spike when she started. "Ah, you must be the new transfer student, Urameshi Nanashi?" the principle said with a bow to the girl. She stared at him wide eyed for a second to long and nodded her head before bowing lower back to him.

The principle introduced himself in turn; followed by the vice principle, the secretary, and Kurama last. Nanashi still held her skittish silence, but bowed back to each of them in turn. It seemed like it was going to be a challenge just to get her to speak. Kurama led her patiently through part of the school before classes began so she could get her bearings a bit in the building. She stayed quiet while walking slightly behind him. She looked around a bit at the few places he showed her, but avoided looking him or anyone else they walked passed. It did not take long for a few of the girls who liked him to stare rudely at her walking with him.

Nanashi still had not spoken when they had arrived in their first class of the day. She took a seat in the back near the door and sat down, fidgeting with her bag and avoiding looking at the other students and teacher looking at her either in intrigue or jealously. Kurama sat next to her even though it was not his usual seat. Luckily this was a class without assigned seats. When the class began, the teacher called on her almost immediately to introduce herself. Her spirit energy spiked as she looked like she was ready to run out the room. When the teacher prompted her a second time, she stood up slowly, kept her head down, and spoke rather rapidly before sitting down in a hurry. Kurama was able to hear and understand what she had said, but based on the looks of the teacher and some of the other students towards the front, they may not have got the full message. When the teacher thanked her, she gave a brief sigh of relief that she could stop talking now. At the end of class, a few students introduced themselves, but she was still tight lipped.

When the bell rang, Nanashi kept unexpectedly close to Kurama as he lead her to their next class with him spinning a monologue of more information about their school. In the next class, she had to introduce herself again, but this teacher was less sympathetic and made her come up to the front of the class and even repeat herself when she spoke too quietly for the back of the room to hear her. Her energy was practically pulsing in time with her fast heartbeat because she was so frightened. She rushed back to her new seat when it was over.

They had different classes next, and when he told her so, she paled and her energy jumped slightly again at the thought. When he picked her up from that class and led her to gym class, she looked at him gratefully for doing so. After changing for gym class in separate locker rooms, the gym teacher had made her introduce herself again, but she seemed a bit more at ease in the school's gymnasium even though she flinched when she noticed her voice echoed. When the gym teacher pulled her away from the rest of the class for a fitness test, she shot Kurama a pleading look that made him convince the gym teacher to let him assist with her test. For a girl who did not have any recent sports listed in her file, she was fitter than she looked. Her upper body strength was below average, but as she did a mile run with Kurama pacing her, she kept up with him with surprising ease, even as he sped up the pace considerably after the first and second laps. He noticed that subconsciously she had tapped into her spirit energy to help propel her faster. As she panted at the end of the run, the gym teacher came over to her and asked her point blank if she was interested in joining the track team as a distance runner. She shook her head, but the gym teacher seemed rather insistent.

"No, I can't sensei," Nanashi murmured, backing a few steps away from the gym teacher. "I..." she faltered, as if trying to come up with an excuse to get the gym teacher to stop talking to her.

Kurama came up behind her and spoke over her shoulder. "Sensei, sorry, but she already promised the reading club she would join them. She won't have time for both." The gym teacher looked annoyed that she had turned him down with Kurama's help. Nanashi looked at him curiously, mouthing the words 'reading club.'

After they finished gym class and changed back into their school uniforms, he met outside the girls' locker room and lead her to the cafeteria for lunch. On the walk, she finally spoke directly to him. "Is there... a reading club...?" she asked mousily.

It took him a second to realize she was not only talking, but finally talking to him. "There is. After school on Thursdays. During the same time as track practice," he commented with a bit of a laugh.

She gave a small smile. "Are you in it?" she whispered. He shook her head and she looked downtrodden. "I don't want to do track."

"I don't blame you. Your energy would probably jump out of your skin at the sound of the gun that starts the race," he probed. After observing her energy spiking every time she panicked and then how she used it for running without meaning to, he debated whether or not to test her abilities after school. He wanted a little bit more information from her and about her first before he decided to test her and how best to do it. Hiei was constantly complaining how boring his parole in this city was after Koenma had conscripted the two of them to join Yusuke's spirit detective team as a way to absolve their crimes for stealing the Three Artifacts of Darkness. Perhaps testing her would alleviate some of his boredom if her heart did not give out from fright if they ever met.

Kurama and Nanashi had finally arrived at the cafeteria and were in line for food. "Um..." she half hummed. He looked down at her expectantly. "Why do all of the girls hate me?" she rushed out as she looked around at a few people in the cafeteria, as if trying to find another semi-familiar face other than his own. He shrugged without answering. "Is it because I said no to track?" she asked. He shook his head and shrugged a second time. "I hadn't known I could run that fast before..." She went quiet again as they got their lunch and he found them a slightly secluded table to talk and eat. Luckily no one flitted over to meet or interrogate the new girl.

He carefully asked her more questions about herself, starting with books she liked at first, but gradually shifted into more probing questions that would tell him how much she realized about her abilities to tap into spirit energy, while avoiding talking about her parents as it might be too touchy of a subject for her to speak about just yet. Start with slow and easy questions and going from there got her talking a little bit more. When he shifted his questions from her aunt to her cousin Yusuke, she looked up at him more alert and perplexed. "How did you know I had a cousin? Let alone his name?" she quizzed.

He caught his mistake a second before she asked her question. He was tempted to say he read it in her file, but let that idea slide as she might not like that he had a copy of her file and would stop talking again. "I've met him before. Quite an interesting kid."

She opened her mouth and replied slowly. "I wouldn't know. Never met him yet." He sat patiently, waiting for her to fill the silence more. "We look alike though. Both take after our grandfather." Kurama nodded as she spoke, wondering if there was more to their shared genetics then the fact that they both looked so much alike. "His mom says he's a punk. Skips school all the time. Where did you meet him?"

Her interest in learning more about Yusuke seem to pull her out of her shell a good deal more, considering she had now spoken more than three sentences in a row to him. Either she truly knew nothing about Yusuke being a spirit detective or she was being coy and trying to not to reveal it to him. Kurama shifted uncomfortably before her, trying to carefully not reveal anymore he knew about Yusuke than she had. "We met back when my mother was in the hospital. He, uh, helped me out with uh, it, until she got better."

She looked up at him pityingly and had a twinge of sadness and grief flash over her eyes. He had accidentally reminded her parents death, but she blinked it away. "Really? His mother never mentioned that. What happened to your mother?" she asked nervously, looking concerned.

Kurama hesitated, but felt more sure now that she had no clue about Yusuke's life in general, let alone about him being a spirit detective. He gave her a vague explanation that his mother had been sick and then had a miraculous recovery. He left out anything that had to do with the Forlorn Hope. "You should finish your lunch," he prompted, changing the subject abruptly to throw her off and to keep her from asking anymore questions about his mother's previous illness.

"I'm not hungry," she replied. He gave her a curious and concerned look as she should be famished after taking the gym class fitness test. Nerves must have gotten the better of her and taken away her appetite. She looked away from him and looked a bit around the area behind her. When her gaze met with a group of jealous girls, she turned her head back towards front rather fast.

When the lunch bell rang, she had not jumped as she was probably used to the sound by now. He picked up her tray as well as his own and threw them away, a bit annoyed that she wasted all that food. She followed him silently again, but when he told her their class was literature, she looked excited for the first time all day. Her spirit energy seemed to waver a bit, proving it was well connected with her emotions, which could either be a good thing or bad thing depending on if she could learn to control it. He resolved to test her after school. He got her to talk a little bit about her interests in British literature on the way to the class. In the class, she seemed less apprehensive then she had in the earlier classes as she spoke louder and clearer when introducing herself than in the previous classes and mentioned she was interested in the reading club. She even spoke up in class discussion in disagreement with another student, Kaito Yu, about the main theme in most of Shakespeare's sonnets. Kaito shut her argument down rather snobbishly and she lapsed back into silence.

Kurama half paid attention during the class. 'Hiei,' he thought mentally to the fire demon.

'What?' he friend answered almost immediately.

'Bored yet?' Kurama teased.

'Of course. How you've managed to live years in this city without going insane is impressive,' Hiei thought back.

'I have an idea to alleviate your boredom for today, if you aren't too busy hunting down other demons in the city limits for sport.'

'What?' he tried to read Kurama's mind for what he was hinting at, but Kurama blocked him and thought in detail about Shakespeare.

'I'll show you after school. Meet me in the park on the north side of town.' He thought about where he wanted Hiei to stand for them to meet. 'Have four of the plant demons I created for you to train with timed to attack us three minutes after we meet up.'

'Why?'

'You'll see,' he thought with a sly smile.

'You're school day lasts too long,' Hiei thought and then dropped the conversation.

Kurama knew he had given him just enough information he needed to he peak his interest just enough that he would be at the park after school. He glanced over at Nanashi sitting quiet as a mouse now at her desk, listening to Kaito support his argument with a frown on her face. Her energy seemed to slosh around a little bit like waves in a tepid ocean. If she could detach it from her emotions when they spiked and harness it, she may be able to become a fledgling spirit detective herself. The only way to know was to test her. If she showed promise, Koenma would want to know about her, if he did not know about her already.

At the end of the school day, Nanashi seemed to have thawed out of her shyness around Kurama. "Now that school is over, would you like to explore town?" he asked her. She bit her lip and gave a soft hum. "Unless you need to get home to your aunt?" he offered her a way out of his suggestion politely.

"Yes please," she murmured. "Ah, she may not be home for hours..."

He gave her a sly smile and lead her off of the school grounds and head due north, pointing out things of interest to her on the walk to the park. She seemed to trust him well enough to follow him into the open, but wooded park while he explained how at home this park made him feel. Hardly anyone was at the park, and when he lead her down the path where Hiei was waiting, he saw and sensed no one else nearby. When they reached a fork in the path and began walking the path on the left, Nanashi stopped suddenly, as if rooted to the ground. One of her hands was balled up in a fist up near her face and her other arm shot out and grabbed Kurama's arm as she stared doe eyed ahead of them. Her reaction to seeing Hiei was almost perfect. The only way it would have been better is if she had sensed him before seeing him, but she did know her spirit energy existed yet, so sensing a demon before seeing him would be far fetched for her to manage at this point in time.

Now it was time to whip her spirit energy up to see if she could release it when it got tapped into long enough. Kurama looked down at her, feigning confusion. "What wrong?"

She brought her hand away from her mouth and pointed down the path where Hiei was leaning on a tree just off the path. "I think there's... a thief, or something... over there." Her hand on Kurama's arm was slightly shaking.

Upon hearing her speak, Hiei snapped his eyes open and stared her down with a shocked and furrowed brow. Her hand on Kurama's arm started to shake harder. She was clearly scared of Hiei at first sight; a sure sign that she had spiritual awareness. Now the only thing to test before Kurama decided to take her to Koenma, was to see how she held her own in a fight with a demon.

Kurama looked down at her, testing her a little more. Faking surprise, he asked "you can see him?"

She opened her mouth and took a shallow breath before replying. "How can I not see him? He's right there. It's not dark out or anything..." Despite her fear, she had not dropped her gaze on Hiei, even as he stared right back at her.

He stepped out on the path, bristling with annoyance that Kurama might think bringing a frightened girl to meet him would be entertaining; even if she did look a lot like the current spirit detective. He could sense she had a bit of spirit energy rolling inside her veins as she stepped behind Kurama cowardly and out of his line of sight.

"Who is that Kurama?" Hiei asked bluntly.

Kurama kept quiet with a calculating look on his face. He gave a quick glance down to his watch. The frightened girl hiding behind him whispered "what? Whose Kurama?"

Kurama sighed. "She's Yusuke's cousin. She lives with him now." His eyes hinted that she was more curious than she seemed at first glance.

Instead of being entertaining, this was starting to becoming irritating. Kurama appeared to think this was fun. "Since when? She looks just like him." He scowled. "She shouldn't be able to see me."

"Since recently," Kurama replied pleasantly. He sensed Nanashi growing more nervous as they spoke, pushing her spirit energy up and up. "I doubt Yusuke knows she's here. Or even exists."

"He's not back from Genkai's yet?"

The frightened girl called out timidly from behind Kurama "he's at camp. He missed too much school he was sent there," she stuttered.

Hiei narrowed his eyes in the direction of her voice as he could not see her face behind Kurama's back. "Really onna? Since when does Genkai care about human schooling?" Turning to Kurama, he asked "Kurama, why does she look so much like him?"

The girl reached a timid hand over to Kurama's right sleeve and tugged on it. "Why does he call you that?"

"It's complicated," Kurama whispered over his shoulder to her.

"Hn," Hiei grunted. He continued speaking maliciously "not that complicated. The more complicated question is how she sees me. No human can unless I want them to. Why can the onna see me fox?"

Kurama raised his hands in the air peacefully and replied calmly, "I don't know, but wanted to see if it was possible for her to have psychic powers as well." From what Hiei could read of the girl's body language behind Kurama she was now very confused and probably ready to bolt as her spirit energy was churning violently inside of her, whether she realized it or not. "I sensed something about her when I first met her. Walking by you was the easiest test. When compared to a human,you stand out more easily than you think." Kurama glanced at his watch and thought quickly to Hiei 'save one for her' with a wink just before a tell tale branch snapped behind him.

All three of them turned to face the direction of the sound and four of the three eyed, green plant demons Kurama had sown for Hiei to train with were growling as they ran towards the three of them. Much to his surprise, Nanashi did not panic or cower from them, but rather had thrown her arms out protectively in front of him. He pushed her out of the way while summoning up his rose whip. She landed hard on the ground and watched in wide eyed, awestruck wonder as Hiei killed two of the plant demons with his sword and Kurama killed one of them. The two men looked at each other, and then down at her. Feeling awkward, she stood up hesitantly and brushed her school uniform off.

Her hands went up to her mouth as she began to ask timidly "what is going o-?" She stopped speaking suddenly as she half saw, half sensed the fourth plant demon standing off to the side from her reached its hand out for her. It's hand closed around her neck, making her terror go into overdrive before she struck the plant demon across the face with surprising force for a girl with a weaker than most upper body. Her spirit energy had danced out of her hand through her nails that marked the plant demon face. Stunned, the plant demon lost its grip on her neck and landed on the ground hard. It bounced back from her strike fast enough and growled menacingly at her. She backed away, frightened of the plant demon. Kurama heard the click of Hiei loosening his sword from its sheath once more, ready to interfere if need be. The fact that she had hit it once and got it to let her go was unexpected. Interestingly enough, her next move was then to throw her right fist, balled up incorrectly, at the advancing plant demon, punching it in the face as hard as she could muster. Her fright must have reached an all time high for the day because more of her spirit energy released when her fist came in contact with the plant demon face with a bright green flash. Impressively, that blow alone had killed the creature. Kurama stared at her, mouth open, in disbelief at how much power her punch packed. It was way more then he thought she would be able to muster. Hiei looked her up and down, clearly irked. Not even Hiei had been able to kill the plant demons in two strikes before. It usually took him at least three if not four to kill them.

Nanashi stared back at them, panting heavily, and clenching and unclenching her now broken hand. She had not fully realized it was injured yet. She finally found her words and actually started yelling "what was that?! What happened?!" She shifted back into her mousy demeanor an instant later and murmured "what did I do?" She looked down at her and gave a squeak of pain "ow. My hand." She looked down at it and rubbed it gingerly.

Kurama walked over to her cautiously in case she panicked or tried to run off. He took her right hand in his carefully as he spoke. "It may be broken. I'm not surprised considering you killed a demon with it."

Hiei moved over to the plant demon she had killed, not wanting to believe she had managed to kill it so easily. Stunning it was believable, but there was no way he wanted to believe she killed it with one hand. He kicked it hard in the stomach while Nanashi and Kurama watched him. She gave him a confused, frowning look. The plant demon was clearly dead then as it would have reacted to being kicked. Pissed off, Hiei drew his sword and stabbed the demon's stomach, which made Nanashi gag and look away from the blood and intestines that spilled out from the new wound.

"Hiei, was that really necessary?" Kurama asked in a scolding voice.

"For good measure," he snapped back, still not wanting to believe that the mouse of human girl standing next to Kurama had killed it so easily, and, on top of it all, was barely injured from the altercation.

"It was already dead," Kurama countered before he turned back to looking at Nanashi's hand. She was slowly calming down in his presence while avoiding looking over at Hiei or the dead plant demons around them. She was about a head taller then Hiei, but not physically impressive; not heavy, but not skinny. Her legs were toned in a way that suggested she could run pretty fast for a human if she had the provocation. Probably why Kurama was keeping hold of her injured hand and speaking to her soothingly so she would not try to run.

Hiei wiped off the blood from his newest sword on the dead demon's body and sheathed it. He looked over to Kurama and asked, "what now Kurama? Want to make her forget?" He hoped the answer was yes.

Nanashi perked up as he spoke and pulled her hand gingerly away from Kurama as she stepped back. "Whose Kurama?" she asked under her breath.

She had finally spoken so quietly that day that Kurama even had a hard time hearing her. "What did you say?" Kurama asked her.

Nanashi glanced quickly back behind her and back to Kurama like she may start running after all. To throw off the thought, Hiei responded for her, "she asked whose Kurama," he told Kurama. He turned his face to her and pointed to Kurama. "He is. They boy you humans call Shuichi is also known as Kurama in the Demon World." He pointed at the plant demon she had killed. "That creature is a lower class piece of demon trash." He pointed at her, which made her look like she was ready to wither in fear of him. "You, are not an ordinary human."

Kurama took a steadying breath and rubbed his brow. Nanashi, quiet and skittish as she might be, had proven she had enough potential that Koenma would want to meet her and would possibly make her another spirit detective. The prince had mentioned when he enlisted Kurama and Hiei that he wanted Yusuke to have a more diverse team then the last spirit detective had. He may add her to the team, tell her to just keep her mouth shut about demons, or send her away to for her own protection. Kurama sighed and concluded, "we have to take her to Koenma. We don't have a choice."

Nanashi frowned and looked at him with a face full of confusion as she mouthed the name 'Koenma.'


	19. Chapter 19

After a few more explanatory, coy, and soothing words, Kurama was able to convince Nanashi to follow him into the portal he immediately requested from the Spirit World in order to take her to see Koenma. Hiei came with them, which Nanashi dreaded. She kept so very close to Kurama as he led her down the hallway towards Koenma's office, that she was practically tripping him up when she stepped on his heels.

"Kurama!" came a gleeful shout down the hallway where the three of them were headed. Down the hallway rushed Botan. "You'll never guess what happened! We may have found just another potential spirit detective! She pinged up on the radar about fifteen minutes ago with an energy spike. And you'll never guess who she's related to!" Botan energetically skidded to a halt in front of Kurama and Nanashi, which made Nanashi turn tail to run, see Hiei behind her, and then cling to Kurama's arm in alarm of the potential frights both in front of her and behind her. She nervously pressed her forehead against Kurama's arm. "Oh my," Botan commented, looking cautiously closer at Nanashi. Nanashi flinched, turned her face away from Botan, and closed her eyes to avoid looking over a Hiei. "Unless that's Yusuke in drag and a wig, it seems you've already found her," Botan said with a giggle. "Are you Nanashi my dear?" Botan asked, poking playfully at her arm.

That had been the straw that broke the camel's back and made Nanashi turn back and try to run away. When she let go of her hold on Kurama's arm, he used said arm to grab her around her waist and turn her back around to face Botan. His hand moved and rested firmly but reassuringly on her shoulder. "She's a little shy," Kurama half explained, half joked. "And for her this has been a very long and confusing day."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Botan replied still a little too loudly for Nanashi's liking, and making a cat face that made Nanashi try to take a step back that was prevented by Kurama's hold on her shoulder. "I'm Botan! It's nice to meet you darling," Botan said with a flourish of a bow. Nanashi just kind of stared at her, going a bit pale. "I'm sorry I spooked you. I was actually just about to go to the Human World to find you after your energy spiked on on readings. We've actually been looking, well, hoping really, well, Koenma was really hoping anyway, to find someone just like you. I see Kurama and Hiei have beaten us to the punch and found you themselves like the clever boys they are. And they even brought you here to meet Koenma, am I right?" Nanashi looked up at Kurama questioningly even though Botan had been addressing her.

Kurama nodded. "That's right."

"Well then! What are we waiting for?!" Botan shouted and took Nanashi's right hand in her own and gave it a sharp tug. Nanashi whimpered wordlessly at the accidental pain Botan had inflicted on her, looking about ready to cry. "Oh, goodness," Botan commented, looking over Nanashi's bruised and tender right hand. "I'm not making a very good introduction of myself am I?" She rested a barely there hand over Nanashi's injured right hand and healed it, much to Nanashi astonishment. She retook Nanashi's hand in her own and tugged her out of Kurama's grasp and lead her at a run down the hallway to stand in front of the closed door to Koenma's office. Botan maintained her hold on Nanashi's right hand and rapped on the door loudly with her other hand, calling out "Lord Koenma sir!" while Nanashi watched Kurama and Hiei walk down the hallway at an easier pace.

"Hold on one second!" a voice shouted back from behind the door. When the door was opened by a large, blue ogre, Nanashi felt herself grow rather lightheaded. "Hey, you found her really fast," the ogre commented.

In response to the way too many shocks and surprises she had had that day, Nanashi's eyes rolled in up to the back of her head and she fell backwards. Hiei closed the distance between him and her and caught her and pushed her back up into the hold of Kurama who steadily guided her through the doorway and quickly into a chair in front of a rather large wooden desk with a rather small looking toddler in a blue robe with pink trim, pacifier in \ mouth, and gaudy hat with the label 'Jr' on it sitting across from her. Kurama stood behind and rested a hand on the back of the chair.

The toddler spoke next, in full sentences, much to Nanashi's amazement. "Ogre, get her some water before she passes out again," he ordered in voice that sounded like it would belong to a teenager.

The ogre obeyed immediately and return rather quickly with a small bottle of water for her. When she went to take it from his grasp, she fumbled, causing it to landed in her lap. As if unaware of how awkward it would be, the ogre grabbed the bottle from her lap and handed it to her again with a big smile and said "sorry about that. I'm George by the way." Though she looked mortified, she nodded silently at him as a way to say thank you. When he got out of her face, she relaxed slightly.

"Go on, drink," the toddler prompted her. "It's not poisoned." Trustingly, she unscrewed the cap and took a sip at the tepid water. "I'm Koenma, nice to meet you," the toddler said with an obvious nod of his head. Nanashi looked at him confused, but nodded with a bit of a dip of her shoulders to him before taking another drink of her water that made her choke for a split second. "Well, based on the records we have on you Miss Urameshi, you are taking all of this rather well. Didn't you last pass out at your old junior high school's big cross country meet because the girls on the other team intimidated you?" She leaned into to him, staring a bit. "And then quit the team after running one of your worst times?" A heavy silence settled in the room that Koenma hoped Nanashi would break herself. After no such luck, he spoke again "you know you're going to have to talk in this conversation is going to go anywhere. I know you're not a mute." Her mousy personality seemed way different from Yusuke's obnoxious, loud, and cocky attitude.

"Um... hi," she barely breathed as she gave another slight bow to him. "Nice to meet you sir. I've read about you in books but didn't think you were real," she rushed out really fast before taking another quick sip of her water, careful not to choke on it again.

Koenma stared at her hard. "I think there was a compliment in there somewhere," he mused. "Let me rephrase myself. You're going to have to talk louder and clearer if this conversation is going to go anywhere."

"Yes sir, sorry sir," she spoke up a bit more, with another bow done out of nervousness. "I've read about you, but hadn't known you were real."

"You're more polite than your cousin is. And more well read. I think I like you!" Koenma said happily.

"Uh... thank you sir," she babbled out and went to bow another time, but Kurama stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Um..." she hummed, fidgeting with the lid of her water bottle. She took a long drink from it, nearly finishing the bottle.

Koenma started talking anew. "Right, so you are probably really confused about why you're here. Kurama, how did you find her so fast? We only found out she had a hint of spirit energy when she came up on our sensor after releasing quite of bit of it." Koenma asked Kurama, who explained the situation from his point of view. Nanashi gave him a wounded look when he confessed that he was testing her when he had her meet Hiei and then fight off one of the plant demons he had sown. "I like the way you think," Koenma complimented. "Although, I would probably had had her fight Hiei to see just how well she can fight on top of being able to release a bit energy based on a surge of emotions."

Nanashi's eyes went wide at the idea of fighting Hiei and she timidly to turned to give the demon a nervous glance. When his piercing gaze met her eyes, she turned back to face Koenma. "So what's the story with my cousin you all keep talking about?" she asked sheepishly.

Koenma took up the mantle and explained everything to her. How Yusuke had died, was brought back to luck, and was now a spirit detective off being trained by one of the most powerful psychics in the world and his connection with everyone in the room and his connections with another boy named Kuwabara.

"So where does that leave me?" Nanashi asked after giving the information time to sink in.

"Why, another detective of course!" Koenma exclaimed. "It's in your blood. Literally!"

Nanashi looked suddenly nervous at Koenma's excitement. He was really hoping she could be it, the break he desperately needed to finish fielding Yusuke's spirit detective team. Yusuke had Kurama and Hiei with him and possibly the human psychic Kuwabara, but he needed at least one more fighter on his team before Koenma's father would give him the go ahead to let the lot of them go away on missions in the future.

"What if I refuse?" she asked with an unsure tone. She seemed to wilt where she sat.

Koenma was surprised she would refuse after hearing the whole story. He wanted her to say yes. He needed her to say yes. "You would refuse?"

Nanashi sighed. "I don't know... maybe. I just moved here or or or there or whatever. I've never met my cousin. Why fight with him?"

Koenma gave her a very serious answer, half masking his hopefulness in his tone. "If you choose not to take the role, you can't stay with Yusuke. There are other demons out there in the Human World. They get in from time to time, don't they Hiei?" he asked looked up at the bristling demon whose face twitched in nonverbal response. Nanashi looked afraid at the sound of Hiei's name, which was not a good sign in Koenma's book. "You wouldn't be safe with your cousin or knowing about him" he told her truthfully. "Either you join us, or you will be made to forget everything about today and be moved somewhere else." She went pale again in response to his ultimatum. 'Just say yes and I can stop searching' Koenma hoped internally.

She looked deep in thought and looked up at Koenma, meeting his eyes while rubbing absent mindedly at her previously injured hand. He leaned closer to her over the desk to hear her in case she spoke too quietly to be heard. "Alright," she breathed. "I...will."

Koenma heaved a hefty sigh of relief. "Thank you thank you thank you! This is fantastic!" he shouted in relieved response. "Right! Now that is decided, we've got a lot of details to hash out. First off, you've never really studied any sort of combat bar a karate class when you were thirteen, so..." Koenma kept talking and figuring out the finer details of making her a spirit detective, including deciding Kurama would begin training her immediately after school. He originally thought Hiei should train her as well, but based on her apprehensive reactions to Hiei and his name, he thought better not put that option on the table for a little while, if ever.

Later on when everyone but Koenma and George had left the office, George spoke up, asking a question that had been bugging him. "Koenma sir, just why were you so keen to get her to say yes to becoming a spirit detective with her cousin? I mean, the poor thing passed out when she met poor old George," he whimpered.

Koenma fidgeted with his fingers before he explained. "You cannot tell any of them this, especially Botan, but my father said that because Sensui, the old spirit detective who just had one other partner, a demon, went mad, that Yusuke should have had a bigger team with him to help share the burdens of being a spirit detective. He insists Yusuke be given a bigger, more diverse team then Sensui had and that it includes at least one demon and one female, be she the demon or another human."

"But what about Botan? Isn't she Yusuke's first partner?"

"Well, she was, and I made that argument when he told me the new standards for a spirit detective team, but Botan isn't a fighter. My father insists the demon and the female both have to be fighters. I can make the argument that Nanashi is the female fighter on the team now based on the second test Kurama gave her before bringing her here."

"She doesn't look like much of a fighter. How can you be sure?"

"She will be when Kurama's through with her. If he doesn't break her in the process."


	20. Chapter 20

Koenma watched from his office as Botan sent Yusuke and Kuwabara ahead for the mission against the Four Saint Beasts and then she went off to find Nanashi to send her after them. A number of Hungry Monster Ghouls had descended on Yusuke and Kuwabara as they made their way towards Maze Castle while Botan stayed in the Human World with the plan to find Nanashi and send her on after them. The two struggled to fend off the monsters, but Kurama and Hiei had disguised themselves in the Hungry Monster Ghouls and fought the lot of them off, much to the two boys surprise.

"It must be tough having only three in a team," Kurama commented before he and Hiei revealed themselves. "Let us help you." He looked around the area near Yusuke and Kuwabara and frowned slightly.

"How in the world..." Yusuke reacted in surprise.

"Who are they?" Kuwabara asked confused.

"Isn't this Kurama and Hiei? How in the world did you..." Yusuke stuttered out.

"Heh. This is our job before returning to civilization," Kurama began. "If we help you, it's possible for us to be pardoned fully."

"Oh? Does Koenma do this kind of charity deeds?" Yusuke asked. He looked from the two standing in front of him and then back to Kuwabara. "Kuwabara, let me introduce you to Hiei and Kurama," Yusuke said, gesturing to each of them in turn when he named them.

"Hi there," Kuwabara said.

"Please to meet you," Kurama spoke.

Hiei spoke up next. "I don't know whats going on in Kurama's mind, but what I'm interested in are the tools and treasures the Four Saint Beasts stole. I'm not interested in helping you at all."

Kurama gave a patient sigh.

"What's wrong with this little fellow?" Kuwabara questioned. "Quite cocky for a short guy like that!"

Irked, Hiei got in Kuwabara's face. "Why? You wanna die?"

"What? You idiot!" Kuwabra countered. "You want to fight, don't you?"

Kurama interjected to keep the fight brewing from happening. "Stop that, Hiei. You can fight all you want after we finish this."

"Yusuke, Le'ts reject their help," suggested Kuwabara as Hiei backed a step away from him.

"Yusuke," Hiei said, turning to Yusuke. "I'll bide my time and take my revenge. You'd better be careful." Pausing, he looked around the area curiously. "Where's Nishi? She should be here as well."

The other three looked at him, confused. Kurama figured out who he meant first. "You mean Nanashi?" he asked, emphasizing her correct name.

Hiei scowled at him. "Where is she? If Kurama and I have to be here, so should she," he snided to Yusuke.

Yusuke perked up. "Oh that's right, you two already met her. Well, after I nearly shot her in our new apartment, she made me breakfast." Teasingly, he added "told me just how tall you are compared to her," gesturing his hand in line with his shoulder.

"Hn."

"And after breakfast, haven't seen her sense. Botan told us to go on ahead while she's out looking for her. Says she'll send her on after us."

"Shouldn't take her very long to die by herself then," Hiei reasoned grouchily. "If she doesn't die in the Human World, she'll certainly die here."

"That's not as likely as you think Hiei," Kurama scolded him. "She's improved in her training."

"Oh yeah, that's right. She said Koenma's had you training," Yusuke said to Kurama.

"Hn, she hasn't improved that much," Hiei responded to Kurama.

"She'd improve more if you helped trained her instead of watching once and a while from the shadows," Kuram replied testily.

"The Human World's boring but not that boring," Hiei responded, bristling.

Koenma, watching the four head towards Maze Castle from the screen in his office, then flipped the channel to see where Nanashi and Botan where. Nanashi was easy enough to find. She was in the process of dismounting her bike at the park on the north side of the city where she and Kurama trained. Once off her bike, she leaned it carefully against a nearby tree, dug into her small bag, and pulled out a well worn book. She sat down on a bench near the tree and small pond and began reading. It didn't take long for pigeons to peck at the ground hopefully near her feet. She looked completely oblivious to the insects infesting the city or the fact that a mission, the one that is supposed to be her first mission, had started. Koenma tried to call her on her communicator, but while it beeped on his end, she did not even react on her end, meaning she did not have it with her like she was supposed to.

Koenma flipped the channel to see where Botan was. Botan was on the other side of town, fighting off a few possessed humans and killing some of the insects. Koenma called her on her communicator and she at least answered right away.

"Botan?" Koenma asked. "Why haven't you sent Nanashi to meet up with the other yet?"

Botan panted and wiped her brow. "I've been looking all over for her sir. She's not at her apartment, the bookstore, or the market."

"She's in the park on the north side of the city. Get there as soon as you can."

"The north side! That's ridiculously far away," Botan griped. "Can't you call her to meet up me half way?"

"I tried calling her. She doesn't have her communicator with her."

"Well, that's just great," Botan murmured as she started running north in vain hope to find Nanashi in time.

Koenma flipped the channel back to the four working there way through Maze Castle and watched that for a while while flipping briefly to watch Botan and her struggles in the Human World, and Nanashi going first from sitting in the park reading to her seeing some of the humans possessed by the insects and getting on her bike and fleeing from there.

"What are you doing!?" Koenma screamed at the image of Nanashi running away on the screen. "You're a spirit detective! Not a-a-a- agh! You could at least go find Botan and help her in the Human World!"

He flipped the channel to Maze Castle to see Yusuke was taking on Suzaku on his own while the other three fought against the harvested humans and then back to Botan who now had Keiko with her. He flipped the channel anxiously back to Nanashi and saw of all things she had ditched her bike and was hiding in a tree. The tree's odd shape looked vaguely familiar in a way that made the hairs on the back of Koenma's neck stand up.

In the tree, Nanashi murmured "I'm such a coward."

"Damn right you are!" Koenma screamed at the screen in anger. "When this mission is over, you're done! You're fired! If Yusuke protests, then I will send you half way across the world!"

Shouts came from the base of the tree where six of the insect possessed humans were gathering. Koenma assumed they had followed Nanashi out there. Nanashi looked down from the tree in fright. Koenma panned the image on the screen to show the base of the tree and the outlying area.

"Oh all the places!" Koenma exclaimed.

Nanashi had accidently stumbled upon the property of the aged alchemist Kaze, the last living creator of the element serpents. Kaze, like his past brothers, were free lance demon hunting cult with no interests or loyalty to the Spirit World. Kaze was old now, living as a hermit just north of the city limits, occasionally leaving his one room cabin to kill off any demons who happened nearby. Hiei and Kaze were lucky they had not crossed paths as Hiei could not leave the city and Kaze would not enter the city. Koenma was unsure if either of them would survive if they encountered each other. If Kaze caught Nanashi on his land and figured out she was a spirit detective and or knew Kurama or Hiei, he would kill her with his wind serpent, a vicious, deadly creature born through the unnatural union of spirit energy and alchemy. Then again, he just might kill her for trespassing on his lands.

Another shout from the screen brought Koenma's attention back to it. Kaze had unluckily appeared and was fighting off the possessed humans, but there were too many of them and Kaze was unable to fight them off. One of them managed to bury a knife deep into the man's stomach. Koenma wondered for a second why Kaze did not just use his wind serpent to fight them off until he caught a glimpse of Kaze's side and saw an ugly, bleeding gash there that bubbled. Kaze was not summoning up the wind serpent because he would not be able to breath and could possibly drown on his own blood if he did so.

Kaze was stumbling as he fought against the possessed humans while pressing a hand tightly to his stomach wound. Nanashi had been watching the scene fearfully from her roost in the tree. Hesitantly, she moved through the tree until she balanced precariously on a branch right above Kaze's fight scene. With a determined look on her face, she kicked off from the branch and jumped; landing hard on one of the possessed humans. She was going to try to save Kaze who would probably try to kill her if she were successful.

"Don't let him bite you!" Koenma yelled pointlessly at the screen.

The possessed human underneath her hissed and gnashed his teeth at her. In response, she sent a small energy blast into her mouth, killing both the insect and human. Koenma groaned, imagining all the paper work he would have to fill out to pardon her for killing another human. She would get the pardon no problem, but only after hours of paper work on Koenma's part.

"Just knock them out like Botan did!"

Kaze meanwhile had half collapsed to one knee and with three possessed humans falling on him with their knives. Nanashi fought off the remaining two possessed humans with novice technique with the knife she took off one of them. She had now murdered three humans, which meant three stacks of paper work to pardon her. She handled the knife well enough that Koenma thought about giving her one as a gift to fight with in future missions before he remembered he was going to fire her for her cowardice.

Kaze was now curled up on the ground with the remaining three possessed humans who were kicking him in his knife wounds. Nanashi looked at the scene and then ran over to them with impressive speed for a human and killed them, creating six stacks of paper work in total that Koenma hoped he could just lump together in one document. Nanashi, shoved the corpses away and got to her knees by Kaze.

"Please, please sir. Are you okay?" she asked him, reaching a tentative hand towards him.

"What are you doing?! Get away from him! He still might try to kill you!"

Kaze moaned and looked up at her. "Damned trespasser," he muttered. Nanashi did not look like she could hear his mutterings. "You're not worth dying for... wind serpent, I don't want you die..." Koenma panned in on Kaze's pained face. The man's face was twitching like he was talking without moving his mouth unhappily. Koenma held his breath in anticipation as Kaze gave a shaky breath and looked up at Nanashi's concerned face. He took another shaky breath and choked out "yes, she... her..."

"Get out of there!" Koenma shouted as he watched Kaze's grab Nanashi's right knee so hard she could not get away from him. She gave a small shout in fright when Kaze summoned up the wind serpent and it rushed down Kaze's arm straight towards Nanashi. Koenma watched in anticipated horror as he imagined the creature would go for her throat. Surprisingly, instead it impossibly but completely left Kaze's body. When the elemental serpents were created, they were grafted onto their masters' souls, so for the wind serpent to leave Kaze's body was tandem to the man cutting off a piece of his soul.

After leaving its master's soul, the wind serpent raced down Nanashi's right leg, down to her right foot, and forcefully attached itself onto her soul while she screamed while Kaze lay there on the edge of death. If the creature messed up attaching to her soul or if her soul wave length and Kaze's soul wave length were not compatible, her soul would reject the creature, which would most certainly kill her and possibly destroy her soul.

Kaze's remaining soul floated above his body, almost completely detached from his body, and watched Nanashi from a different angle from which Koenma watched her on the screen. The wind serpent had risen up and around her neck, dangling from her with a content hissed. Both men breathed the same sigh of relief that both Nanashi and the wind serpent had managed to survive the soul graft. The wind serpent brought its face up to Nanashi's paled, pained face and hissed at her. In response, she gasped. Kaze pulled the rest of what was left of his soul out of his body and let himself die. A grim reaper Koenma did not know very well had appeared on scene to take Kaze's soul away to the Spirit World for judgement.

Kaze reached a gentle hand over to the wind serpent who was looking at Nanashi curiously. He gave the creature a soft scratch under its chin. "Goodbye my friend. Make the trespasser worthy of you," Kaze said before turning to the grim reaper with a polite nod and following her as she lead him away.

Koenma watched Nanashi's, gauging by her reaction that she had not seen Kaze's soul's actions. "What are you...?" she asked the wind serpent. In response, the wind serpent leaned back away from her neck and then shot forward with a snap of its jaws. Koenma panicked at first, thinking it was going to kill her, but instead her body went limp where she sat and her eyes went unfocused as the wind serpent cast her into a trance.

Koenma watched her on batted breath for several minutes before switching the channel back to Maze Castle. He rewound the screen so he could fully watch Yusuke's fight and eventually triumph over Suzaku. He flipped the channel back to see Nanashi still in a trance, but otherwise completely unharmed. He flipped it back to Botan who was now struggling to explain everything to Keiko. He flipped through each channel, seeing the team at Maze Castle leave there to go back to the Human World, Nanashi still entranced, and Botan finally all by herself.

Koenma called Botan on her communicator. "Koenma, sir, glad to hear from you. We're all good from here. It seems our boys were successful!"

"Yes, they were. They're heading back to the Human World as we speak," Koenma informed her.

"Sorry I never found Nanashi. With the insects in the air, I didn't feel safe about flying to find her. Do you have any news of her?"

"Yes, actually, she's north of the city, out in Kaze the Alchemist's territory-"

"What is she doing there?! He'll kill her! He blames the Spirit World for his brothers' deaths!"

"Well, he didn't. He was killed by some of the possessed humans. Now, go get her and bring her home. She-"

"No problem sir!" Botan replied with a click, terminating the conversation before Koenma could explain to her what happened to Nanashi and that she may still be entranced by the wind serpent.

Koenma watched the screen as Botan flying towards as Nanashi came out of her trance. Scanning her quickly, Koenma say Nanashi's spirit wave length had remained the same, but her spirit energy had completely changed. Its color alone had gone from green to white. It was three times as high as it had been when she first fought one of Kurama's plant demons. There was no way between then and now that her energy could have grown so quickly. It had to be Kaze and his wind serpent's doing. Watching the screen, Koenma saw the wind serpent affectionately brush its head against Nanashi's cheek.

Botan appeared on scene, rushed over to Nanashi. "There you are! We were worried sick about you. Afraid you had been bitten too. Come along then," Botan exclaimed as she reached to take Nanashi by the hand. The wind serpent's demeanor changed on a dime as it rushed down Nanashi's left arm, hooked its tail around her left hand, and hissed and lunged its snapping jaws for Botan's hand. Nanashi watched its behavior in mute shock. "What the!" Botan shouted, stepping away from Nanashi in fright the wind serpent was still trying to attack her.

Nanashi carefully plucked the overly protective wind serpent up by the neck with her right hand, and pulled it away from Botan. The creature was immediately subdued, going limp in Nanashi's hand, tasting the air with its tongue, as Nanashi awkwardly paused and then sat it on her right shoulder with its head facing front. "It's a long story..." she mumbled mousily as the wind serpent coiled itself around her neck and kept a watchful eye on Botan.

Botan's wrist device beeped loudly, signalling her that Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke had arrived at Yusuke's apartment. "Oh, never mind that, come on. Yusuke's hurt." Nanashi looked up at Botan worriedly. With surprisingly little hesitation, Nanashi got on Botan's paddle with her and Botan flew the both of them back to Yusuke's apartment.

Koenma flipped the screen off, left his office, and went to his library. With George's help, he found the book detailing the lives and works of the element serpent masters. The men, who each had very weak spirit energies similar to the ones Nanashi had before acquiring the wind serpent, were free lance demons fighters who formed an alchemist cult. None of the men had strong spirit energies, but each one had been a gifted alchemist, especially Kaze. While pure humans without demon ancestors show no elemental affinities, the alchemists chose to create the elemental spirits by marrying their spirit energies and alchemical skills together based on the seven elements: wind, fire, water, earth, light, dark, and metal. The men had been successful in creating the creatures. While the creatures were created with part of each psychics soul and one element, the elemental serpents had a personality separate from their masters and could chose to think and act independently of their masters even though they had no body of their own. The creatures and their masters were able to communicate telepathically. The elemental serpents were sustained by each of their masters' spirit energy. The more an elemental serpent was exposed to demons, the stronger it and its master grew to compensate.

After the elemental serpent were born, the alchemist refuse to work for the Spirit World, which led to those in the Spirit World, Koenma included, allowing the men to live as they wish, but would not interfere to help the alchemist if they needed it. The alchemist had asked for help only once, but were refused. Koenma remembered vaguely signing the document refusing them. Shortly after that, the light, dark, fire, and water serpent masters were killed and the wind, metal, and earth serpents and their masters barely survived and went into relative hiding with the assumption that the three of them had eventually passed away themselves.

That was not the case as Nanashi had just inherited the wind serpent from the last elemental serpent master and also a good deal of his spirit energy. Koenma looked up Kaze's stats in the book and saw he had been the strongest of all the alchemists after partnering with the wind serpent. After sharing his soul with the wind serpent, Kaze developed the abilities to stop anyone from breathing, keep someone who could not breath from dying from lack of air, create and wield a long handled battle axe out of the wind serpent's body, and, at his peak, hover above the ground. Once a rogue water demon tried to drown Kaze, but failed because the wind serpent kept him from drowning. Kaze's spirit wave length had been a 97.256% match to Nanashi's, which was close enough to explain how she survived the wind serpent grafting itself to her soul right before Kaze died.

Koenma shut the book with a snap and hissed out his breath in frustration. George asked him what was wrong, but Koenma ignored him. The wind serpent could act independently of Nanashi, as demonstrated when it tried to attack Botan and Nanashi's surprised reaction to it. Kaze and his alchemist brothers had gone from weak physics to formidable demon hunters with the elemental serpents. 'If I fire her now,' he thought bleakly, 'I not only have to wipe her memory, but I would have to figure out how to wipe the wind serpent's memory as well lest he remind her of everything... I could have him removed from her soul, but how in the world could I do that without one of both of them fighting me off... and that could kill her and destroy her soul... but if she stays with Yusuke and is exposed even to Kurama and Hiei, she'll get stronger much faster than anticipated...' He still wanted to fire her for running away and completely missing the Saint Beasts mission. 'She's stays, but I'll warn her that if she messes up the next mission, she's gone,' he decided.


	21. Chapter 21

"So let me get this straight?" Hiei asked, sitting testily on Kurama's bed while Kurama was moving around, getting ready for school. "She skips the mission by running away from danger and accidentally trespasses on an old alchemist's lands. The alchemist dies and gives her his weapon, an unnatural creature that can think for itself. And to top it off, Koenma just gives her a warning to do better next time?"

"Well summarized," Kurama responded. "Poor thing was terrified before meeting with Koenma, sure she was big trouble," he gave a soft laugh at the mental image. "She's been warned to do better next time. Afterward, Koenma attempted to run some tests on the wind serpent to figure out its unique existence, but when she jolted when he tried to draw some blood, the wind serpent bit him before she could stop him," he gave another short laugh. "The tests ended abruptly after that."

Hiei's face twitched in annoyance. "If I had missed the mission for whatever reason, I'd be imprisoned in the Spirit World."

"So would I since my parole depends on your good behavior as well."

"He should just get rid of her."

"Don't you have a video tape to deliver?" Kurama asked, changing the subject. "I need to go meet with Koenma after school myself anyway."

"Why, what about?"

Kurama paused tensely. "To look up some more information about the wind serpent... To see how I can improve Nanashi's training." He zipped up his school bag. "I need to get going," he hinted somewhat directly.

Taking the hint, Hiei went to Kurama's bedroom window, opened it, and jumped out with a soft thump on the ground. Kurama closed the window for him.

Hiei stepped into the shadows of Kurama's apartment building, took off his head band, and closed his eyes to locate Yusuke. He does so easily, sensing him just now leaving his own apartment. Putting his head band back on, he made the journey there swiftly. Once he saw him running to school with that annoying girl a step behind him, he waited patiently ahead of their traveling direction for them to approach him.

"Yusuke?" Nanashi's small voice huffed out. "How exactly and how long has the VCR been broken?"

Yusuke looked at her as he ran beside her. "How should I know? My mom probably broke it. Why?"

"Um... I tried to fix it, but..." she shook her head. "Do we have the manual? I might be able to figure it out from that." Looking ahead of the two of them, she stopped running suddenly, brought one hand up by her mouth, and the wind serpent had risen up around her neck with a feisty hiss as she had spotted Hiei standing ahead of them.

"Of course you'd look for a book," he teased. He noticed then she was no longer just behind him. Glancing back at her, he scolded her "Didn't Kurama tell you not to let that out when you're not fighting?" When she did not respond, he turned his gaze to where she was looking and saw Hiei. "Well, if it isn't my favorite three-eyed demon! What's up Hiei? You're not stalking me again, are you?" Yusuke asked as he closed the distance between the two of them. After a pregnant pause, Nanashi came over, but stayed partly behind Yusuke.

Hiei handed him the video tape while wearing a poker face. "From Koenma."

"Koenma? Isn't this Botan's gig?" Yusuke asked puzzled and then took the tape from Yusuke.

Testily, Hiei responded back. "I don't know. I'm following orders."

With a laugh, Yusuke asked "You're following Koenma's orders?"

The two stared at each other over the pause. Out of the corner of his eyes, Hiei noticed the annoying girl was twitching her lips as if she were speaking, but no words were coming out. He looked her up and down, irritated that the creature, the elemental serpent as Kurama called it, around her neck had not only made her so strong so fast, but it also allowed her to stay a spirit detective when she lucked into a dying alchemist giving it to her. The creature noticed him looking at her and hissed menacingly. The girl brought her hand that had been by her mouth down to it and shushed it. The creature acted almost tame for her as it disappeared from sight. Seemed like a perfectly good weapon was wasted on her.

After Hiei flitted away, Yusuke commented "strange guy" and then took off running towards his school. Hiei watched Yusuke run off first and the girl quickly followed after him. On the run, he told her "I'll see if Kuwabara will let us watch the tape at his place after school."

She nodded vigorously as she made the turn towards her school and away from the direction of Yusuke's school. Hiei noticed she sped up considerably as she ran to her school. Hiei took of his head band and closed his eyes, curiously trying to look into the creature's mind. It was surprisingly intelligent and had the motivation to protect its new mistress from anyone who scared her, seeing his own face in particular. He noticed the creature disliked Botan and Koenma as well. Outside of the girl, it felt affection for both Yusuke and Kurama.


	22. Chapter 22

After watching the video tape with the mission to rescue Yukina on it, Yusuke, Botan, Kuwabara, and Nanashi made their journey to Torukane's compound. Much to Botan's disapproval, Kuwabara took out most of the enemies, with Yusuke picking up the rest, and Nanashi staying out of it except when she was directly attacked by a weak enemy in the yard. Even then, all she really did was let the wind serpent rip the demon's throat out and then dry heaved at the sight of all the blood and swooned a bit afterward. It was frustrating for Botan to watch, especially if Nanashi did not prove herself on this mission, Koenma might dismiss her after she completely missed the last mission.

Botan ran along with the three of them into Torukane's compound, getting even more annoyed that Yusuke and Kuwabara were doing all the fighting against the first two members of the Demon Triad. After the two of them had defeated the second member of the Demon Triad while Nanashi just watched them, Botan took verbal action.

"Everyone stop!" Botan snapped from her stand still as she watched the three of them running down the hallway away from her. Nanashi stopped first, then Yusuke, and then Kuwabara as he barreled ungracefully into Yusuke.

"What's the problem Botan?" Yusuke asked confused.

"You two are!" Botan shouted as she caught up to the three of them and pointed at Kuwabara and Yusuke. "You two brats are taking out the enemies before Nanashi can even think to act!" She marched over to Yusuke and got in his face, poking him in the chest. "She's only gotten to fight one while both of you have taken on all the rest!" She rounded on Kuwabara next who jumped and hid behind Nanashi. "Especially you Kuwabara!" Botan shouted passed Nanashi who backed right into Kuwabara behind her. "She's your team mate, but you are just hogging all the fun for yourself!"

Yusuke pondered what Botan was saying. "Hmm... You know, now that I think about it, that's true." He walked passed Botan and patted Nanashi on her shoulder. "Next one's yours, no matter what," he promised Nanashi, who went white at the thought of it.

"But she's a-" Kuwabara started, but stopped when Botan sent him a scowl. "Never mind," he grumbled.

"Much better," Botan cheered. "Nanashi, you lead the way too," she instructed as she gestured down the hallway they needed to travel.

Nanashi hesitated at first, but started running down the hallway with Botan right behind and Yusuke and Kuwabara taking up the rear. On the run, Kuwabara shouted "Watch out!" just as a large hand punched throw the wall, catching Botan by the jacket and sending Nanashi rolling down the hallway. Botan screamed and struggled as she was hoisted up into the air.

The demon with red hair, three horns, brown skin, and a spiked club that had made the hole in the wall and had Botan by the jacket introduced himself as Gokumonki, the third member of the Triad.

"We'll write it on your gravestone," Yusuke shot back and then to the right of Botan and Gokumonki.

Botan, still struggling, saw he had nodded over to now standing Nanashi whose eyes were wide at the sight of Gokumonki. She looked like a deer in the headlights. "Come on Nanashi!" Botan shouted. "Get me free and take him down!" Botan's panic went into over drive when she saw Gokumonki had pulled his spiked club from behind his back and was in the process of swinging it at Yusuke and Kuwabara who jumped out of the way just in time. "Nanashi!" Botan shouted at her.

Gokumonki turned around and looked down at Nanashi, swinging his club at her. She gave a shout and jumped out of the way, but slowed to a stop smoothly in a crouching position in front of Yusuke and Kuwabara. Her face read both fright and determination.

"Don't just sit there, get him!" Yusuke encouraged.

It seemed to be the nudge Nanashi needed as she sprang up with a half shout of "wind serpent, battle ax!" As she charged at Gokumonki, Botan saw that the elemental serpent she had acquired from the alchemist Kaze when she skipped the last mission had risen up from her neck, shot down to her right hand, and transformed itself into a white, long handled, battle ax. Gokumonki swung his club at her and it met hard up with the ax in midair. Gokumonki's swing proved stronger than Nanashi's as the ax shifted back into the wind serpent with what sounded like a disgruntled hiss.

"What the hell was that?!" Yusuke shouted at Nanashi.

Nanashi whined backed "I didn't want to hit Botan!"

Gokumonki swung his club through the air, hitting the distracted Nanashi and sending her careening down the hall much to Botan's disappointment that she would be hit so easily. "Nanashi?" Botan called out.

Yusuke and Kuwabara ran past Gokumonki, dodging his club, and bent over Nanashi's prone form. "Hey, can you get up?" Yusuke asked.

Nanashisat up as she gave a faint groan in tandem to the wind serpent giving a low pitched hiss. Both of them looked over at Gokumonki and Botan with livid expressions. Yusuke and Kuwabara also looked angry. Gokumonki laughed at the lot of them and tauntingly said "you don't have the nerve to attack me so long I have her" as he swayed Botan sideways in the air for good measure.

"Shoot," Kuwabara growled.

"Unless you have another plan, I'm going to start the crushing!" Gokumonki shouted as he raised his club up; causing Botan to cover her face and scream in fear.

"Her jacket!" Nanashi exclaimed half nonsensically.

Yusuke understood perfectly what she meant. "Botan, raise your arms."

Although it seemed like a stupid idea, Botan complied and much to her surprise, she slipped out of her jacket and away from Gokumonki. As quick as she could, she ran away from Gokumonki and over to the other three.

When Kuwarabara and Yusuke called him stupid, Gokumonki let out a roar and raised his club up over his head. With his guard down, Nanashi, much surprise to Botan that she got up and moved again, charged him with the wind serpent dangling from her neck. She leaped into the air and decked Gokumonki in the face with her right fist, sending him into the nearest wall with a painful groan right before he passed out.

Nanashi backed away from the now unconscious Gokumonki, hands in front of her neck. She backed into Yusuke who had been standing behind her. "That's the spirit," he cheered her on as ruffled her hair into a frizzy mess. She jumped and frowned up at him. "Let's getting going," he said, shoving her playfully down the hall ahead of him.

The lot of them ran down the hallway and down a flight of stairs, pausing briefly as Kuwabara telepathically told Yukina they were coming. The end of their run was a round, domed room. On the other side of the room stood the Tugoro brothers, five small screens of the gambling men watching them, and a window where Torukane, his men, and Yukina stood watching the six of them in the room below.

"They're the last?" Yusuke asked no one in particular.

Kuwabara noticed the group watching from the window. "Look at those shits. They're hiding behind a screen."

Botan, standing near the door and out of the way, noticed Nanashi, who had been standing directly behind Kuwabara took a shaky breath, summoned the wind serpent back up around her neck, and side stepped so she was no longer hiding behind him. Her hand were balled in tense fists by her sides. Her elbows we intentionally locked out.

The younger Toguro brother spoke "you have guts. Three on two. We're going to go by the rules."

"He isn't emitting any power. This is going to be great!" Kuwabara commented.

Yusuke paused, looking and sensing the two men in front of them carefully. "I don't think so.. On The contrary, I get the impression he's hiding his game."

"Oh yeah?" Kuwabara asked.

"We have to be careful of this guy."

Nanashi had a slight frown, speaking too quietly for Botan to hear.

Younger Toguro gave a quick laugh as Elder Toguro took off cloak and transformed himself into a grotesque looking sword for Younger Toguro to use.

"Did you see the guy on his shoulder?" Yusuke asked, nervous.

"He just transformed himself!" Kuwabara cringed. To Nanashi and her wind serpent he asked, "are they copying you two or something?" Nanashi opened her mouth, but shook her head and shrugged as a response. "How unoriginal."

Younger Toguro spoke up again, brandishing the Elder Toguro as a sword. "My brother can change himself into a weapon... He is a weapon. After all, it's his wielder that makes the difference. He's changed himself into a sword!"

In response, Botan watched Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Nanashi charged towards them at the same time. Kuwabara had his spirit sword out while Nanashi had her wind serpent out as an ax.

"That's not all!" Younger Toguro shouted as his muscles grew and steamed underneath his skin before Botan's eyes. The three of them skittered to a halt in shock. "Me, I can do what I want with my muscles! Him and me, we're not just anyone!"

"Errps!" Kuwabara gasped. "That's an insane amount of ki!"

Nanashi had frozen speechless at the sight.

"Be careful. He's showing a monstrous power!" Yusuke warned.

In a split second after that, Botan watched Younger Toguro charged at the three of them, swinging his brother sword down between Yusuke and Nanashi on one side and Kuwabara on the other side. His blow missed, but turned the part of the floor that Elder Toguro struck into rubble.

He's fast!" Kuwabara and Yusuke exclaimed in tandem.

Younger Toguro was on the move again. "Shit," Kuwabara swore, summoning up his spirit sword again just in time to block the sword swing from Younger Toguro. "Woah! Argh!" He struggled to hold Younger Toguro off.

In response, Younger Toguro gave a laugh, and punched Kuwabara painfully hard in his stomach, sending him flying into the wall.

"Kuwabaraaaa!" Yusuke screamed.

Luckily, Kuwabara was still alive and conscious, groaning in pain and coughing up a noticeable amount of blood.

Younger Toguro squared himself up for another attack. "You limited the impact by backing away. I see that you have a little in your head." With a low swing, Younger Toguro swung his brother sword horizontally through the air towards Yusuke, who had not seen it coming until Nanashi had shoved him out of the way and took slice on her front from shoulder to shoulder with a pained scream. She hand managed to stay standing in front of Younger Toguro. "If you were any shorter, I would have slit your throat." He shoved his brother sword point first at her, impaling her right side just above her hip. She grabbed at the sword in an effort to slow it down, cutting her hands deeply. The wind serpent joined her, biting deeply into Elder Toguro in sword form. Elder Toguro gave a shrill, agonizing scream. Younger Toguro grabbed her around her throat and picked her up off the ground while trying to pull Elder Toguro out of the wind serpent's mouth. "Let him go!" Nanashi kicked helplessly in the air, clawing at his wrist to break his grip on her neck. The second the wind serpent let Elder Toguro go, Younger Toguro threw her across the room and into the wall near where Botan was standing.

"Nanashi!" Botan shouted, running over to her prone, unconscious form. She lifted up Nanashi's head, feeling relieved that she was still breathing. "She's alive! Knocked out, but alive!" Botan shouted to let Yusuke and Kuwabara know so. Hurriedly, Botan healed the bleeding wounds above her hip and below her neck and then the damaged done to her neck. She was out cold.

Yusuke, now extremely pissed out, jumped up in front of Younger Toguro. "Take this in your face!" he yelled as he shot Younger Toguro point blank in the face with his spirit gun. "I hope that's done it! At this distance you're..." Botan watched awestruck that Younger Toguro was completely fine bar smoking a little bit. "The sword transformed itself into an armor?!" Yusuke exclaimed right before Younger Toguro used his armored forearm to bash him in the face.

"Ah, yes, I forgot... My brother could transform like that..." Younger Toguro recalled.

Botan watched from her spot near the door and the unconscious Nanashi as Younger Toguro continued to beat both boys up. Botan shook Nanashi, trying to get her awake. "Come on, wake up. The fights not over. They need you." Nanashi stayed out cold, oblivious to Botan's words and shaking.

Botan looked back over at the four fighters. Kuwabara had found his second wind and was standing, spirit sword in hand. "You don't have any moral..." he mumble growled out. "You're not worthy of being a man!" he shouted at Younger Toguro.

"Very interesting," Younger Toguro mused. "His power has increased."

"Desist," Kuwabara warned him. "It's not you who I want to defeat... But the pig who's behind you."

Botan listened as Torukane's voice came echoing over the room. "Who? Are you talking about me? Hahaha, he has a sense of humor that little one! Come, if you can!" A heavy hush sunk over the room. Toguro, leave the girls alive. I can sell off a feisty one like that to a trafficker for a small fortune after I take away her pet snake. Kill the others. Go Toguro! The final blow!"

"You have agreed? That's too bad," Younger Toguro said evenly.

"Die!" Kuwabara shouted as he charged at him, trying to strike his sword home. Younger Toguro punched him hard, sending him skidding back to stand next to Yusuke.

"I won't be taken in. It's reported that you died," Younger Toguro commented.

Kuwabara gave an angst filled growl.

"Kuwabara..." Yusuke said quietly.

"Yusuke... I'm going to ask for just one thing!" Kuwabara grumbled out.

Botan saw the two of them continued to talk, but strained to hear what they were saying. Nanashi gave muted whimpered and shifted in her sleep. Botan looked down at her, shaking her as she said her name.

"Yu..." Nanashi struggled to say. Botan paused, waiting to see what she said. "k.." she finished before slumping still once more.

Torukane's voice echoed over the room "go, let's finish them! It's time you finished it."

"I agree, I agree," Younger Toguro responded.

"Idiot!" Yusuke snapped, catching Botan's attention again. "If we do that you're going to be leaving your skin behind!"

I still prefer to die! Death is better than defeat!" Kuwabara responded.

"Go!" Yusuke urged.

Botan watched Kuwabara stand up, spirit sword held at the ready. He ran recklessly at Younger Toguro with a battle cry.

Younger Toguro stood his ground. "The meaning of this sacrifice? So be it! That's your choice! I'm going to decapitate you!" Younger Toguro warned as he swung his brother sword high above his head.

Yusuke meanwhile had a spirit gun blast at the ready and fired it directly behind Kuwabara, speeding him up considerably, and impaling Younger Toguro in the stomach before he could even react.

"He helped himself using his friend's spirit gun to propel himself like a rocket... well... done..." Younger Toguro choked out before falling backwards to the ground.

Botan jumped when all the screens below the window went static. Looking over at the boys, she say that Kuwabara was still alive and conscious. "Shit, and Torukane?" Yusuke blurted out as he started running towards the stairs that let up to room behind the window. He passed Yukina on the way. "Me, I'm fine. See to him instead," he told her as he kept running.

Botan kept her distance as Yukina ran over to Kuwabara and began to heal him. She gave Nanashi another shake. "You're missing something good," she teased as she witnessed Kuwabara managing to look sad and adorable at the same time. She looked over to the window and saw Yusuke talking with Hiei, making her concerned that Hiei had found out after all they were rescuing his sister. "It just got more interesting," she grumbled down to Nanashi, giving her another shake. Nanashi gave a groan, opening one eye first, then another. "Finally!" Botan exclaimed, helping Nanashi sit up. "What took you so long?"

Nanashi winced sharply bringing a hand to the back of her neck. Botan met her hand there and healed the injury there that she had missed while Nanashi had been unconscious. "What happened?" she murmured as Botan guiding her onto her feet. She was looking in the direction of the Toguro brothers, which caused her to go from squinting to wide eyed.

Botan was about to explain, but bit her tongue she saw Yusuke running towards them. "She ok?" he asked Botan, standing in front of the two of them.

Botan nodded. "I think so," she reckoned.

"Good," he said evenly, taking a deep breath. "What the hell were you thinking!" he yelled at Nanashi. In shocked reaction to being suddenly yelled at, Nanashi closed her eyes, brought her arm protectively over her face, and stepped back.

"Yusuke!" Botan scolded.

Ignoring Botan, he continued to yell at Nanashi. "You don't take a hit like that for me! Not ever! You hear me?!" The next thing he did was wrap his arms around and pulled her into him for a tight hug. One hand rested on the back of her head and the other wrapped around her lower back. "Pretty easy to tell Kurama trained you after that." Nanashi brought her arms around him in response, starting to cry and shiver a little. "Hey, shh," he soothed. "I shouldn't have yelled, I'm sorry." Nanashi seemed to calm back down and quit crying. In a soft voice, Yusuke spoke "it's no secret my mom hated your dad. Thought he was an arrogant prick... But she likes you. You don't judge her like your mom did... It would kill her if I brought your dead body back with me."

Botan stepped away from the two of them, giving the two of them a semblance of privacy. She looked over at Kuwabara and Yukina, still having their own moment. Finally she looked up, seeing Hiei and now Kurama up in the room behind the window. The first looked down at both moments happening with a livid scowl. The second watched on with an unreadable expression.


	23. Chapter 23

Hiei stood on the roof top with Kurama standing near him and Elder Toguro standing a few yards away with his back to the setting sun. He was standing on the edge of the roof top. Apparently the three human spirit detectives had failed to kill both him and his younger brother.

"State your business Elder Toguro," Kurama requested rather harshly.

Elder Toguro gave a vicious smirk and laugh that had not phased either Hiei or Kurama. "I'll tell you after the fourth member of our party joins us." He looked down curiously off the roof top, tapping his foot in mild impatience. "Any second now," he hummed, flexing the fingers in his right hand. "There!" he shouted gleefully has his hand shot out and stretched down towards the ground. Quicker than expected, a scream echoed off the building below their feet. Kurama gave a tense, almost imperceptible, sigh. Hiei bristled with annoyance at the shrill sound. "Found her," Elder Toguro laughed as he dangled Nanashi by her right ankle off the roof top and over the ground several stories below. She looked terrified as she clutched her school uniform skirt desperately against her thighs.

"Let me go, please," she whimpered, eyes closed shut so she would not see the ground far below. It was beyond irritating to witness her start crying out of fear of Elder Toguro.

Elder Toguro enjoyed her fright at his expense. He swung her precariously as she dangle over the air and let her ankle go for a split second, making her open her eyes and yelp. He gripped her easily again, holding her now from her right calf. "Still want me to let go?" he teased with a laugh. His forefinger extended and twisted tightly as it wound down her leg. She panicked, kicking and struggling uselessly, making him laugh harder. It was a sickening sight.

Like a delayed reaction, she finally summoned up her elemental serpent from her neck. The creature gave an audible hiss, rushed down to rest around her right thigh, hissed louder, and snapped its jaws at Elder Toguro. Elder Toguro gave a noticeable flinch and threw her quickly away from him and towards Kurama and Hiei. She hit the ground half way between the pair and Elder Toguro; rolling involuntarily the remaining distance until she managed to stop herself before running into Kurama's legs. She stayed on the ground, resting on her knees with her left hand on the ground and right hand in front of her mouth in a fist. Her creature stayed around her neck, eyes locked on Elder Toguro. Elder Toguro looked down at her with a bemused smile, waving his fingers at her. In reaction, she scooted back into Kurama's legs, rooting herself there. The fox gave another tense sigh, but refused to even look down at her and acknowledge her embarrassing behavior. She had no idea how to even fake courage in front of an enemy, allowing Elder Toguro to enjoy her terror.

"Now that were all here," Elder Toguro began with a disturbing smile. "My brother should be inviting Yusuke as we speak. But I insisted on being the one to invite her," he pointed at her and laughed at her shivering, cowering form. She had not even bothered standing up yet. "When my brother and I fought her and the other two humans, we threw the fight on purpose. But soon it will be time to fight for real!" He laughed again, making the girl jump. He kept his eyes trained at her as he continued to speak while she kept her head down, half hiding her face with her hair. "There's a fun little event coming up. The Dark Tournament. It's run by corrupt, greedy, human billionaires for their own entertainment. Each tournament, teams of six, five fighters, and an alternate, made up mostly of demons and a small handful of humans, fight, sometimes to the death, until one team emerges victorious." He stopped speaking briefly, scowling at the frightened girl in front of Kurama. "Look at me or I will make you look at me!" he barked. She turned her head farther away from him in defiance. "Ugh. Nanashi..." he hissed out her name, but she still refused to look at him. "You, your cousin, and your other human friend Kuwabara are invited to this tournament along with these two demons your trembling in front of. If you refuse your invitation, I'll kill all five of you tonight, making you watch as I start with the two behind you." Hiei hand itched to grab his sword in response to Elder Toguro's threat.

The girl was looking at Elder Toguro now, jaw set in determination. "I I I-" she faltered and retried. "I won't let you," she countered from her pathetic crouch on the ground. Brave words for a cowardly girl.

"I'll take that as a 'yes, I'll die in the Dark Tournament instead of dying here tonight,'" he replied cruelly. Elder Toguro savored the look at her cowering in front of Kurama a bit longer, and then looked up at both Hiei and Kurama. "My brother would like me to tell you to rally the humans. You've been too soft on them. He wants Yusuke at least to make it to the final round. As for your sixth team mate, you can choose whoever you want. The alternate can be any of you as well so long as all five names are down on your list of fighters." He looked down at Nanashi again. "I wonder how she'll last? I wouldn't mind going one on one with you, even with thousands watching," he teased at her. Laughing, he stepped back away from them. "See you two months my dear," he sneered before jumping off the roof top. He laugh echoed in the same way off the building as her scream had earlier.

Once he was gone, Nanashi's hands balled up on the ground of the roof top and she shook violently with fear. Much to his merit, Kurama did not suddenly bend down to coddle her. She may want to be coddled in this moment, but she needed a stern hand now or else she would crumble.

Kurama's face went harsh as he ordered "get up," softly. Nanashi ignored him; only a twitch of her shoulders betrayed that she heard him. "Get up," he ordered testily. Hiei could tell his patience had finally worn thin with her. She shook her head, making Kurama growl under his breath.

"I don't want to do this anymore," she whined out.

"What?" Hiei snapped, not sure what she meant.

"I want to go home," she lisped.

"Come on. Get up and I'll walk you home," Kurama promised grittingly.

"No," she bit back, making Kurama frown at her childish behavior. "Not home here. My old city. Where my parents used to live." She paused. "I don't want to be a spirit detective anymore," she whined. It was getting even harder to be around her now more than ever.

Kurama seemed to be growing angrier with her; now struggling to hold it back. "You chose this. Bar Kuwabara, you had the easiest choice of all of us to become a spirit detective. Yusuke did this to come back from the dead. Hiei and would be in prison in the Spirit World if we do not choose this. Your choice was this or forget and go somewhere else."

"I want to forget now," she admitted.

"You would forget everything. Yusuke? Your aunt? You would lose the wind serpent as well." Kurama's patience was at its last end.

Her hand rested on her neck, and she shook her head. "I just don't want to die!" she admitted, tears flowing freely as she brought her hand over her mouth.

Kurama's patience ran out and his temper flared. "Stand up now or-" he began angrily.

Hiei cut in. "Or I will kill you right now," he threatened. Nanashi looked up at him in wide eyed shock. "You're an embarrassment." He stepped over to where she was on the ground and bent his knees down until his face was level with hers. She tried to move away, but he grabbed her collar to keep her stuck where she sat. "Letting Elder Toguro enjoy your fear like that." She turned her head away from him, flipping some her hair to obscure her face. "Pathetic." She was shaking again. "Look at me," he ordered, loosening his sword in its sheath loudly to emphasize his point. She looked up at him nervously through her hair. "Are you scared of me?" he asked mockingly. She nodded rapidly. "Speak."

"Yes," she rushed out.

Hiei looked at her curiously. "Who scares you more? Me or Elder Toguro?" She looked back at the ground. "Eyes up."

She raised her head back up, meeting his eyes briefly before looking down at his shoulder. "You," she choked out.

"If your afraid of me, then imagine just how frightened all the other fighters who will be when they face me in the arena." She looked at his face nervously, unsure what he meant. "But when they see you in the arena-"

"I'm not go-"

"Shut up onna," he ordered as he pulled her closer to him by her collar. She jumped but held her tongue. "You are going. I'm not dying for you because your just some frightened little school girl who won't stick up for herself. I'll drag you into the tournament and throw you into the arena if I have to. And if you cower before someone weaker than me or Elder Toguro, then they'll enjoy toying with you before they kill you." He shook his hand free of her collar. He stood up from his crouch, looming over her. "So either you stay on the ground like the coward you are or get up, go home, and start packing for your training before the Dark Tournament." She had stopped crying now, wiping the last tears from her eyes. She began straightening herself up too timidly. Rudely, he put his foot on her shoulder and pushed her back down. She looked up at him with a disbelieving scowl. She was pissed off just enough to over ride her fear. "Up," he told her, enjoying teasing her a little too much. She tried to stand up again and was met with another shove down to the ground.

"You dick," she hissed out. She made to stand up again. When he went to kick her down a third time, she clumsily pushed his foot away from her. She stood up hurriedly and stepped away from him and towards Kurama before he could shove her down. She looked down at the ground, avoiding Kurama and Hiei's eyes. "I'm sorry," she murmured, glancing up at Kurama.

Kurama took a deep, steadying breath. "It's ok," he told her evenly. He was purposefully being the nice one of the two of them. "Fear is a normal emotion, but you can't let it keep you from doing what needs to be done." He gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Do you still want me to walk you home?"

She started to nod, but Hiei interjected again: "no." Nanashi looked at him nervously and Kurama looked at him confused. "You'll start coddling her the second you see her frown." As if on cue, Nanashi frowned at him. He pointed towards the door that led to the stairs of the roof top. "Start walking."

She gave Kurama a pleading look. Kurama looked back and forth between the two of them. "Walk with her please," he requested. She shook her head at the suggestion. She looked like she was going to refuse to move another time.

Hiei grabbed her forearm and yanked her towards the door before she could freeze up, saying "move onna."

She tugged her way out of his grip and smack his upper arm feebly. "That's not my name," she grumbled, standing her ground.

"I'll say your name when you earn it," he snided back.

She whined, turning away from him and heading for the door, too angry with him to be afraid again. Hiei gave Kurama a nod goodbye and started to follow after her.

"Hiei," Kurama voice called out, stopping him in his tracks. "I never thought you could be so kind," he said with a sly smirk, "while being so mean."

"Hn. You've been too soft when you trained her. She won't be able to take you yelling at her when she needs it when she's so used to you being nice to her. Me, on the other hand, she terrified of me, which means I can do whatever I want to her, including yell at her."

"Just don't enjoy it too much."

Hiei turned away and went through the door and down the stairs after the girl. He followed her slow for him, fast for her pace down the stairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she rounded on him. "Quit following me," she hissed. She turned away from him before he could respond, running as fast as she could from him.

He caught up with her easily, running alongside her. "Kurama asked me to walk you home. Because your too scared to go all by yourself onna."

She gave an annoyed grunt and sped up her pace. He had no trouble keeping her. After a few hundred yards, she started looking nervous and missed her left turn home. When she went to make the very next left turn, but he stuck foot out in front of her, tripping her up. She staggered, but kept on her feet. She stopped running and got in his face. "What is your problem?" she asked louder than expected. When he did not responded, she angry enough not to be scared of him to attempt to back hand his face. He caught her hand without flinching, gripping her wrist hard. She gave a whining hum as she tried to pull away from his grip, betraying that she was scared once more. He let her wrist go by just opening his hand. She pulled her hand back, scowling at him nervously. She stupidly turned her back on him and ran towards her original expected turn and took it. He went after her, keeping up with her slower than before pace with ease. He resisted the temptations to trip her up on the rest of the run. He noted she needed to learn to act beyond fear and move faster.

When they reached her apartment building, she was barely jogging. At the entrance of the building, she stopped, seeing Yusuke coming out of the entrance with a bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, there you are," he called out to her. She ran at him, practically tackling him as she hugged him. He dropped his bag in a hurry, pulling her into his arms. When she started whimpering, Hiei watched all his effort to keep her from letting her fear consume him was wasted because instead of Kurama coddling her, Yusuke was doing it. It was if she wanted everyone she knew to pander to her whims. "Hey, calm down, take it easy," he shushed her. He took a step back from her, hands on both of her shoulders. She was shaking a bit, looking down at the ground. "I'm guessing you got your Dark Tournament invite to huh?" Instead of responding, she brought her hands up to her eyes, crying anew. Yusuke swore and pulled her back into her arms. "That bad huh?" He looked over at Hiei questioningly. "What the hell happened?"

"She can tell you," he snapped back.

Yusuke frowned at him. "So can you." He looked back down at Nanashi. "What happened?" he asked gently.

A long process ensued where she managed to give him the gist of what happened from Elder Toguro dangling her from the roof top, the invitation to the Dark Tournament, and finishing with a look at Hiei as she said "he yelled at me."

"Was that necessary?" Yusuke snapped at him.

Hiei nodded. "Next time I'll leave her on the roof then, crying over how life is not fair."

Yusuke huffed and spoke next to Nanashi. "Listen. I've contacted Koenma on the way home about that stupid invitation to that stupid tournament." She looked up at him, nodding to show she was listening. "He's already procured a training ground for the four of you." She looked up at him, mouthing the word four. "I'm going to Genkai's to train." He glanced up at Hiei and looked back down at Nanashi. "You need to go pack and be at the park on the north side of town at midnight." He put his hand underneath her chin, making her look up at him. "I've already given my mom a vague cover story that were going on a long term overseas mission with that detective agency we intern for." He gave her a wink. "But you've been crying... which she might be sober enough right now to notice..." He frowned, thinking hard. "Hm... She does have herself convinced you're in love with Kurama-"

"But I'm not," she interrupted, acting embarrassed. "I don't... um... like him... well, not like that anyway..."

Yusuke gave a chuckle. "That's not what she thinks... Hm... Give her a mom moment with you before you leave..." With a sly smile, he suggested "tell her because you're leaving for the mission, you went and found him and confessed your undying love, but he, gasp, rejected you because your boobs are too small and you read to many books." She smacked his chest childishly in response. "Hey, I was only teasing. But still, if she notices you've been crying, you probably shouldn't tell her it's because a creeper forced invited you to a deadly tournament and then our three eyed friend here was being a bully." He pulled her in for one last hug and bid his goodbye. "See you in two months," he told Nanashi with a playful ruffle of her hair. He picked up his bag and walked passed Hiei saying "try to be nice."


	24. Chapter 24

"Hit her!" Hiei yelled frustratingly at the pair 'sparring' before him. Kurama himself, standing next to Hiei, was also growing noticeably frustrated.

"I can't hit her! She's a girl!" Kuwabara shouted back as he blocked a punch coming from Nanashi. She tried to hit him two more times, but he only blocked instead of going for the obvious attacks she left herself open for.

"I don't care what she is! She's still your opponent right now! Hit her!"

Nanashi had kicked at his stomach, leaving her off balance. All he would to do now is block her kick and then kick her back leg out from under her to send her to the ground for an easy win. Kuwabara only blocked her kick and backed away. She stepped away as well, hands on her thighs and panting heavily. She so open for any stupid attack Kuwabara could come up with, and yet he still refused to strike her.

"Enough," Kurama ruled. Both humans looked over at him hopefully. The girl glanced at Hiei quickly, and then stopped looking hopeful. "I think that's enough for today," he said, looking down at Hiei, hinting at the need for a private conversation once the humans were away.

Hiei reluctantly agreed, causing both humans to run back to the house Koenma had procured for the four of them to stay in while training for the Dark Tournament.

"He's keeps holding himself back so he won't hurt a woman," Kurama noted.

"More like she's holding him back by not attacking him hard enough to warrant him fighting back," Hiei retorted.

"We should split them up and train them separately. He won't hold back against either of us."

Hiei agreed, even though the idea of being stuck all day with either one of the humans sounded unappealing. "When she cries, I'm still not going to be nice to her like you do," he warned.

"I think that's what she needs at this point."

From the next day on, the humans were split up and alternated days training with Hiei and Kurama. Kuwabara showed improvement right away, but Nanashi's progression was slower. In general, she seemed to tire out a lot quicker.

"Can we just take a break," she whined as she was trying desperately to avoid being hit by Hiei's sword. He ignored her and kept trying to hit her, holding back just enough so when, not if, he hit her, she would not be killed or injured grievously; but she did not know that. He swung his sword at her stomach, slicing across the front of her shirt and leaving a thin scratch on her side. "Would you stop," she whimpered, bringing a hand foolishly to her side, leaving herself unguarded. Now unguarded, Hiei swung his sword at her legs, making her jump off balance in the air. When she hit the ground, she stumbled and fell into a sitting position, arms up over her face, leaving herself vulnerable to attack yet again.

Moving swiftly, he came up behind her, pulled her hair back sharply, and rested his sword against her neck. Her fear was palpable. "Dead," he whispered in her ear. He took his sword away from her neck and shoved her forward.

She frowned up at him. "I hate you," she said with all the angst a girl her age could muster.

"Up," he ordered. She frowned at him. "Run," swinging his sword out to show her it was time for another round. She responded better and improved more if she was chased and had to fend him off. Training to move beyond fear. In the first few sessions of training alone, she had already become a faster runner and her reaction time was quicker. She was frightened, but able to move beyond it and at least attempt to fight back. She had also learn quickly that crying and refusing to move only made him train her harder.

She groaned, raising to her feet. She stood her ground, trying to summon up her wind serpent. She managed to have it up for two seconds before it disappeared. She bent double and panted, swearing under her breath. Bravely but foolishly, she charged at him, grabbing his right wrist to keep his sword out her way and then tried to punch him in the face with her free hand. He blocked her punch, shook free from her grip on his wrist, and brought his sword to rest against her neck heavily.

"Dead," he whispered. He looked her over curiously. "Why are you so much more tired then Kuwabara?"

"Um," she shook her head, unsure.

"Fear of dying keeping you up at night?" he teased.

She frowned at him, backing away from his sword and started running away. Time for another chase.

Later that night, Hiei read her mind to see why she was more worn out then Kuwabara during training. Kurama had noticed she was wearing out faster as well and had thought it may be because she was not as physically strong as Kuwabara. Upon reading her mind though, he found a different answer. She spent at least an extra hour every night reading one of the three books she had brought with her when she should be sleeping. He shifted to reading the mind of her wind serpent, trying still to figure out its existence. Living, yet solely dependent on her spirit energy to exist. The poor creature had to depend on someone who was not even smart enough to get enough sleep every night to recover from the previous day's training and grow stronger. If she could tame something like that...

Annoyed, Hiei bidded his time before taking action. She trained with Kurama the next day who had pitied her for being so tired ended her training with him early so she could go to bed earlier. Waiting patiently until she was in a deep sleep, Hiei snuck into her room, and took all three books from her room. The one she slept with near her head was easier than it should have been to steal. She only twitched in her sleep when he got so close to her. She should have been on guard, even when sleeping, but she slept on peacefully.

Early the next morning, Hiei waited patiently in the yard for Nanashi to realize what he had done. Surprisingly, it did not take long for him to hear her actually shouting for him. She stormed out of the house after him, fully dressed, but hair still disheveled from sleep. Nothing about her demeanor showed she was even remotely scared of him at the moment. He held up all three books tauntingly. She sped up her pace after him, wind serpent in ax form. He dodged it her first swing and pulled his sword out to block the second one. He hurriedly put the three books back in his cloak while fending her ax off with her sword. She was fighting way better then he expected, almost impressing him. He upped his game so he fought just above evenly at her level. He noticed when she could, she tried to reach into his cloak, but he would not let her get any closer than that to taking back one of her books.

After hours had passed, she finally started to slow down as she could not keep her ax out anymore and the wind serpent disappeared. She gave a shout of frustration, but still kept trying to get her books back. She was still showing no fear of either him or his sword, only wincing when the blade nicked her. He managed to pin her down on the ground on her stomach, pulled her unbrushed hair back to expose her neck, placed his sword against it, and said "dead." He took his sword back, got off of her, and loomed over her.

She got back up faster than usual and tried to get her books back from his cloak. "You creeper. Who gave you the right to go into my room and steal my property," she hissed at him. She still was not scared of him yet today.

He kicked her in the stomach hard, sending her back into a tree. He put his sword back on her neck, tempted to nick her flesh this time, but let it pass undone. "Dead. Maybe if you slept more and read less, you'd finally show some improvement in your training." She frowned down at him, waiting impatiently for him to lower his sword. When he did not, she reached down to his cloak, pulling at the top of it, trying to reach inside of it unsuccessfully. "You're not getting them back," he told her.

"They're mine," she grumbled.

"They're a distraction from your training." He took his sword off her neck and jumped back. He quickly flitted up another nearby tree. Nanashi ran to the base of it, looking up at him furiously. He took one of the books out of his cloak and held it up tauntingly in his right hand. He concentrated on warming his right hand up until the book it began to smoke and finally burned. She stared up at him disbelievingly. "One down." He was goading her to attack again. Already today had been her best training day by far.

"You son of a bitch," she swore. She stretched her right arm straight out towards as her wind serpent came back up around her neck. Hiei felt both of his lungs quit moving simultaneously. He could neither breathe in nor breathe out. He grabbed his throat, trying to will it to work. He forced himself to calm down in spite of not being able to breathe. Looking down at Nanashi, he noticed she was panting heavily. He rested his hand on the trunk of the tree he stood in, willing himself to ignore the black spots floating in his vision. She broke her gaze on him and collapsed in a heap to the ground. The wind serpent was no longer around her neck.

He could finally breathe again, taking in as many deep breaths as he could. He jumped down from the tree he had been, landing next to prone human panting on the ground. When she saw him, she pushed herself up from the ground on her hands and knees. She was clearly exhausted, likely had not eaten anything that day, and had used up all of her spirit energy. Yet she was now punching at his shins. While she had not done much damage, but he stepped out of her reach anyway. She got to her feet and followed after him, trying desperately to get her last two books back. She had no chance, but for the rest of the day she stayed entertaining, pathetic, and begrudgingly impressive. She was not crying, begging for a rest, or acting like a brat like she usually did. Every time he knocked her down, she would not stay down but would do everything she could to get up and fight again.

At sunset, he ended it. She had crawled to a nearby tree to pull herself to her feet. He threw one of the two remaining books at her feet. She looked down at it and then up at him in shock. She threw herself down to the ground and scooped the book into her arms, clutching it to her chest. "Don't let that be a distraction from sleep. You train like that everyday from now on. Or else I burn both books. I'll hold onto the other one to keep you motivated." He held the one still in his possession in his hand tauntingly. He tore the first page out of it and burned it in front of her frowning face.

From that day on, Nanashi kept training at nearly the same level with both Kurama and Hiei as the day Hiei had stolen her books. She was also reading less and resting more.

During the next week on a day Hiei was training her, she was slowing down again as if she lost her drive in training, sliding back to half as good as she had been the day he stole her books. She even burned through her spirit energy to use the wind serpent too quickly in the morning when she knew better to pace herself when using it. In so frustrating to watch that it was practically painful. She was running slower, behaving scared to be hit, and had started whining after the fourth time he 'killed' her. He upped his fighting, trying to draw her anger back out, but it had not worked. He was itching in temptation to pull out the book he had in his cloak and burn a few pages in front of her. He was trying not to let his rage at her letting herself back slide cause him to seriously injure her. She had even stopped running and was just backing away from him enough to not get hit. When she backed up into a tree, all she did was lean her back on it, close her eyes, and left herself purposefully exposed for a killing blow. Hiei felt something snap inside of him at the sight of her giving up so easily. He did not want to be associated with training a quitter. He sheathed his sword, shot his hand out towards her, grabbed her right wrist, and began squeezing and twisting it almost to the point of breaking the bones in it.

That got a reaction out of her. She opened her eyes and gave a yelp of pain. "Please. I'm 'dead' again. Please let go." She looked on the verge of tears, much to his approval.

"You're wrong. I haven't killed you yet. You're alive. Fight," he growled out. She dropped to her knees in response to the pain, trying in vain to pull her wrist from his hand. She was whimpering and blinking rapidly. She had come too far in her training to just quit like this. "Give up and you deserve to die a real death. Haven't you another pathetic trick up your sleeve?" He thought about the different things she had tried in previous training session, like looking at his left side, but striking his right, using the wind serpent to try to blow him away, hiding once in a tree, and pleading with him for rest. "A feint, more tears, blowing wind, attempt to hide, something else useless?" She would not speak, but had started shaking, which meant she was likely on the verge of tears. She tried to pull her wrist away, but he only tightened his grip in response. She kept her head trained to the ground, hinting that she may slip all the way back to her not talking, not moving, not complying, scared school girl mode, which pissed him off even more. She should be fighting back, struggling, kicking him, something! "You're giving up that easily? Are you sure you're related to the detective?" he mocked, trying to make her mad enough to break out of her scared school girl mode and attack him. She still would not reply and had stopped moving. Besides a slight whimper, he could get nothing out of her. He loosened his grip on her wrist, twisted his hand, and applied so much pressure that he could the two bones on the outer sides of her wrist ready to crack. She gave a small cry disproportionate to the amount of added pressure he was applying to her wrist. Finally, he got her to move. She pushed her right arm back from him sharply, but had hardly moved him in the process. "Hn-" he started to say, aiming to make fun of her weak attempt to break free of his grip but could no longer speak because she was suddenly kissing him. Her mouth stayed tightly shut. Her left hand cupped his face along his jaw and below his ear firmly. He opened his eyes disbelievingly and saw her pained expression with her eyes closed tightly. She did not appear to be enjoying the kiss at all, but the spark he felt from her lips on his was almost overwhelming. He felt his stomach tighten immediately, making him tempted to give into the enjoyment of the kiss. At the thought, he remembered he was training her to fight, not throw her body around like a lush. He snapped back to his senses, shook his grip on her wrist go. He brought both of his hands on her shoulders and willed himself to shove her away. He had shoved her harder then he meant to as she had slammed down to the ground. The thought that crossed his mind with her being down on the ground like that almost broke his composure. "Slut's tricks," he panted out at her, trying to keep his mind angry and ignore the new lust burning in his veins. It was a nuisancy, unexpected reaction. No one else who had ever kissed him came close to feeling half as good as that kiss just did. But it was not one born of attraction or passion. It was done in place of honorable fighting. It was distasteful. "That's what you've come with. Slut's tricks." She looked up at him nervously. She could have done something else, anything else, to prevent him from breaking her wrist. But instead she went in for a sexual advance to throw him off. If she would do that now, what would stop her from doing that in the Dark Tournament. He was half responsible for training her, and if she was to be disgraceful in training, she could do it in the tournament, and it could be thought that he taught her to do that as a last ditch effort in a fight. Having to bear witness to her embarrassing behavior in front of Elder Toguro was bad enough. "Find your own way back," he told her before he could succumb to the temptation to attack her one way or another without holding back.

He ran back to the house they were staying in, noticing it was still too early for Kurama and Kuwabara to be back. He went to the shower and took a cold one to clear his mind. The girl was so annoying. He had never shown her the slightest interest that would indicate her behavior was warranted. It felt had felt good though, even if she had only done it to keep him from breaking her wrist. Stupid girl.

He finished his shower, got redressed, and tried to think about something else. He went to the fridge, pulling out the first container he saw, seeing a beef dish with what looked like fried crumbs over it with vegetables and rice. He warmed it up in the microwave Koenma had supplied for them, and ate the meal in peace as the other three had arrived back yet. The meal was surprisingly delicious, even though the crumbs looked possibly unappealing at first. He wondered if Kurama had cooked it.

Whie thinking of Kurama, he heard both him and other annoying human return. Kuwabara mumble growled incoherently as he walked passed him with a slight limp. Kurama looked up at Hiei curiously, scanned the room, and frowned. Kurama did not speak until they both heard the shower running in the bathroom.

Kurama asked evenly "where's Nanashi?"

"The woods," Hiei answered vaguely.

"Where exactly in the woods?" He shrugged as he stood up and put his plate and chopsticks in the sink. Kurama would wash them later. "Why'd did you leave her behind?"

He looked back at Kurama, trying to figure out how to answer him. "She pissed me off."

"How exactly?"

Figuring he would not stop asking until he got a straight. The shower was still running, meaning Kuwabara would not be able to overhear their conversation with the running water. He spoke clearly so he would not have to repeat himself: "kissed me." The next sound Hiei heard was Kurama falling over and roaring laughing.


	25. Chapter 25

Kurama laughed on the ground as Hiei rounded on him. "What is so funny?!" Kurama was struggling to regain control of himself. "It's not funny. I didn't teach that slut-" he stopped himself, tempted to kick Kurama.

Through better controlled laughter, Kurama spoke: "What on earth did you do to her that she would react that way?... She's not someone who would think about doing something like that..." He laughed again. "And as for being a slut, I would bet my life she's a virgin... She's only had one boyfriend... I've seen one of classmates... Kaito... try to ask her out... but she was reading... and let's just say she had not even realized he was talking to her..." He gave a hearty, laughing sigh and pulled himself back up to his feet.

Hiei scowled up at him. Kurama felt kind of bad for not being more sympathetic to Hiei's predicament. "I'm not training her anymore," he threatened.

Kurama's humor suddenly disappeared. "What? She's improved more under your training. You can't-"

"If she thinks she can do to me, then what's to stop her from doing it an real opponent. I'll not be associated with training her anymore."

"Hiei," Kurama scolded, but stopped as they heard the shower turn off. "We'll sort this out later," he warned.

Kurama abruptly left the house after that in search of Nanashi. He found her pitiful, grumpy, stumbling self around sunset.

She looked up at him, and mumbled his name questioningly. She looked hesitant to talk and walk with him, but still grateful that he had come out to find her. She stumbled towards him, tripping on an exposed tree root, but managed to stay upright.

"Come on," he said, gesturing his head towards the direction he had come.

She followed behind him quickly and quietly; arms crossed over her chest and head looking down at the ground. Out of pity, he would not ask her her version of what happened. He could not help but wonder with a bit of jealousy why she had kissed Hiei instead of him. From the moment she had met him, she practically and actually clung to him when she was frightened. She saw him almost everyday in school and training. Bar Yusuke, he knew he was her closest friend she had moved in with her aunt and cousin. Yet she had never attempted anything romantic or intimate with him; or even hinted she was interested in him that way. Even though he was not attracted to her either, he felt an irking jealously that Hiei, whom she had been frightened of since she met him, had been the one she made advances on. But why? Was it a ploy to fight him in training or was there actual romantic motivation behind what she had done.

He stopped walking and looked back at her searchingly. She looked up at him nervously, but would not met his eyes. Her eyes stopped on his shoulders. "You train with only me from now on," he stated simply. She nodded slowly in understanding in acceptance. After waiting a few moments to see if she would speak first, he turned back around and continued to lead her back to the house.

The next day and from that day on, Nanashi only trained with Kurama while Kuwabara continued to alternate days training with Hiei and Kurama. Each time Kuwabara complained about it in Nanashi's hearing, she seemed to shrink back a little in nonverbal response, but she was still improving in her training, but not as much as Kuwabara did.

When the day had finally arrived for them to journey to Hanging Neck Island, where the Dark Tournament was taking place, the four of them waited patiently at the ferry entrance for Yusuke. Much to her credit, Nanashi did not hide behind Kurama when they reached the clearing to wait for the ferry which was crawling with other demons awaiting the tournament. She did stand a little too close to him yet again, but right beside him between him and Kuwabara.

"Why is Yusuke late?" Kuwabara gripped. "We don't even have an alternate."

"Stop your blathering. Are you ready or not?" Hiei grouched at the stronger of the two humans in their presence.

Kuwabara raised his voice, causing a few demons in the area to look over. Nanashi shrank back a bit from Kuwabara as if trying to create more distance between the two of them. "Loudmouth. I'm really motivated! Kurama trained me for the occasion. This tournament is for me! I'm going to make my name in it and no one will dare approach the sweet Yukina!"

Kurama noticed Hiei's nose twitched in annoyance at the sound of his sister's name being said by Kuwabara.

"Sirs, it's time to embark," The sea demon ferry captain called out through the crowd.

Kuwabara spoke up for the rest of them. "Eh! Not so quickly! We're still missing a guy!"

"We'll take that for a withdraw. Sorry, that's the rule."

Before Kuwabara could respond to the ferry captain, a familiar voice echoed from behind them. "I'm sorry, I'm here! I'm late."

"Yusuke..." Kurama heard Nanashi breathe out when she locked eyes on him. She ran at him, giving him just enough time to drop his bag and raise his arms up to hug her.

"Well, at least someone missed me," he teased, running his hand from the top of the back of her neck to the top of her skull, intentionally messing her hair up, making her pause to fix it. Yusuke teasing held his arms up and said "who wants the next hug? Hiei? Hmm. Kuwabara?"

Kurama bit back a laugh as Hiei's face went from wide eyed confused to narrow eyed disdain at the suggestive joke.

"Oh hell, no!" Kuwabara shouted. "I'm not gay." Yusuke laughed his comment off. "What were you doing anyway?"

Ignoring the question, Yusuke replied "I'm so tired."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Kuwabara asked.

Kurama overheard a few nearby demons debating about attacking the lot of them, but as if to stop them by demonstration, Hiei softly said Yusuke's name before swinging his sword at him repeatedly. Yusuke dodged each swing before the shocked eyes of the demons who seemed to change their minds of attacking their team. Kuwabara looked dumbfounded at the spar. Nanashi had taken a few hesitant steps backwards with her hands clasped in front of her mouth. Yusuke did not end up "dead" at the end of the spar. Instead, he easily caught the blade of Hiei's sword with his two fingers and thumb.

"A curious way of greeting me... Is that your version of a hug?"

Hiei sheathed his sword and stood up straight. "I see that you've made a little progress," he complimented with an entertained look in his eyes.

Kuwabara was flabbergasted. "A little?! What Arrogance! He's super fast."

Kurama came up behind him and spoke to Kuwabara who seemed intimidated by how much more progress Yusuke had made come to himself. "Don't panic... You've also progressed."

Hiei spoke before Kuwabara could manage to say anything else. "Don't tell me that loser is the alternate?" he asked with his gaze trained on the short masked fighter standing near where Nanashi was and Yusuke had been before sparring with Hiei. Bar Yusuke, everyone else looked down at the fighter curiously. Nanashi frowned slightly and moved her lips silently. Watching her communicate with her wind serpent still was an odd thing to watch because she sometimes seemed to be talking to herself. When she mouthed words, it was normal enough, but when she spoke in a normal voice, it was uncomfortable.

"What?" Kuwabara broke the silence. He turned and looked towards the fighter who was standing closest to Nanashi. "What, him? I didn't even see him!"

"The shame," Hiei snarked.

Yusuke laughed the moment off. "Don't worry. He's more than reliable. Genkai sent him to me. The only catch is he gets a spot on the five man team. She made me promise. I can't make him the alternate."

"I don't really trust you..." Kuwabara said nervously to the fighter.

"Yusuke and I, it must be more than enough," Hiei commented with an excited look.

"Hey! What a second!" Kuwabara jumped up, pointing towards the fighter. "If he gets a spot, then who is the alternate?" He looked at Yusuke confused.

Yusuke gave Kuwabara a goofy grin and nodded to the fighter. The fighter turned without warning and attacked Nanashi, who was the closest one to him, giving her a sharp blow in her stomach with the heal of his hand that sent her flying backwards into a nearby tree. Nanashi hit the tree with a pained whimper, sliding down the trunk while rubbing the back of her head. Bar Yusuke, the other three tensed up at the unexpected attack.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Kuwabara snapped at the fighter, taking a step towards him to head him off should he attack Nanashi again.

Yusuke went over to Kuwabara and stayed his arm. Yusuke shook his head and spoke softly to the three of them, "let this play out."

Kurama watched the fighter who was watching Nanashi, who had frozen up against the tree, looking at the fighter nervously. It was a disappointing sight to see her freeze up rather than defend herself or retaliate. The fighter ran towards Nanashi, whose eyes went wide in panic. She dodged him by ducking forward towards the ground while the fighter's fist make contact at the tree where her head had been half a moment before. Nanashi scrambled away from him a few yards, seemed to check herself for such cowardly behaviors, and turned back to face him nervously. The wind serpent was up and evident around her neck, hissing violently towards the fighter. Nanashi timidly stared down the fighter, who tensed up and brought a hand to his throat. The fighter charged her, causing her to back away a few steps, but was unable to block the three rapid kicks he delivered to her chest. She went down hard to the ground on her back. It was rather pathetic of a short fight for Nanashi, who had progressed so far in her training with Kurama mostly and Hiei, yet just showed a severe lack of skill as a fighter in this unexpected spar.

Kurama overheard a few nearby demons who had been watching make comments about the fight. Based on the way they spoke, they wondered how Nanashi was a wind mage if she smelled human and whether or not they could take her with her poor fighting skills, but wind animal counterpart.

The fighter rounded swiftly next against Kuwabara, who jumped half way out of his skin at first, but managed to hold his own a bit more in his fight than Nanashi had. He had managed to not end up on his back. After that fight had ended, the fighter simply pointed his finger at Kuwabara. Nanashi, who was now back to standing close to Kurama, watched the scene curiously, moving her lips without speaking.

"That decides it then," Yusuke said with an uncomfortable sigh.

"Huh? Decides what?" Kuwabara asked. The lot of them looked at him curiously.

Yusuke reached his hand behind his head, scratching it. "Well..." he began, glancing at Nanashi and then away quickly. "I agreed with Genkai that the fighter she sent me would get a spot on the team of five... And I'm team captain, so I get a spot... And I think Hiei would kill me in my sleep if I didn't give him a spot-"

"You're wrong," Hiei interjected. "I would kill you here and now without hesitation."

Yusuke mumbled under his breath, clearly not wanting to continue speaking as he shifted his weight nervously. "Yeah. So Hiei gets a spot. Like for sure." His eyes skipped over Nanashi and over to Kurama right beside her. "I'm really not sure I want to know how Kurama would react if he didn't get a spot..."

Kurama nodded towards him with a dangerous glint in his eyes and a soft smile. "That is correct. You do not want to know," he warned. Nanashi shifted uncomfortably next to him. She behaved hopeful, making Kurama wonder if she hoped for a spot or hope to not get one.

"So, uh..." Yuske continued. "That left either Kuwbara or Nanashi... And, well, Genkai suggested her fighter should fight them and let him decide which one of the two of you got the final spot as he would be an impartial judge and all since he doesn't know them." Next to Kurama, Nanashi's face was looking less hopeful and more melancholy. Her lips twitched three time with a bit of a snarl. Yusuke looked at her and shook his head, which made her pout.

Kuwabara stared at Yusuke, confused. "So wait, that leaves just me... and Nanashi... Well don't leave us in suspense Urameshi! Who gets the last spot on the team and who is the alternate?"

"Is there anything in that head of yours?" Hiei grumbled. Kurama wondered what was going on inside his head over the kiss Nanashi had given him and whether or not he approved of her being demoted to the team's alternate fighter.

"And what's that supposed to mean short stack?" Kuwabara snapped back.

"It means you get the spot," Nanashi breathed out rapidly, looking down and away from him and everyone else. She blinked rapidly and took a steadying breath.

"Huh... Alright! Look out demons, here I come!" Kuwabara shouted excitedly. "Hey, shouldn't we get going?" He pointed over towards the ferry where other teams were slowly trickling on to the boat.

Yusuke looked over at the ferry and jumped. "You're right. Good, let's go!" Yusuke headed towards the ferry with the rest of them following after him. Kurama noticed Nanashi glanced nervously from Hiei and the fighter before she followed closely behind himself.

Once the ferry had loaded, Yusuke located a comfortable enough looking spot on the deck and fell asleep. Nanashi leaned her against the deck right next to him, arms crossed over her chest, with a disappointed and gloomy air still looming over her. She appeared to be hesitantly keeping watch of Yusuke while he slept, glancing nervously at the number of demons on the ferry with them. Her gaze landed more often than not on the Mysterious Masked Fighter or Hiei. Kurama wondered which one intimidated her more.

After the ferry set sail, the captain made an announcement from a top the side deck. "Welcome to all! I have some good news to tell you. We won't be long to organize the elimination rounds!"


	26. Chapter 26

So the detective finally showed up just in time to catch the ferry the Dark Tournament, bringing a new fighter who hid his identity behind a mask in tow. A stronger fighter than he appeared as well based on how easily he or she had quickly he or she had knocked the girl down and then turned on the oaf. Hiei wondered why the fighter had attacked the girl at first, but once he/she attacked the oaf, it became clear that he/she had done it to test them both to see which one was the stronger of the two. The detective confirmed when he condemned the girl to alternate status after the only thing she managed to do with some semblance of skill was choke the fighter for two heartbeats. She had earned it with how bad she did in that surprise fight. It was painfully frustrating to watch her slip back to old habits she should have broken weeks ago due do panic. At least now she would not make a fool of herself in the Dark Tournament. Until at least the oaf got himself killed, then the girl would have to fight whether she liked it or not.

Hiei had figured she would be happy to be the alternate, but she looked upset when the detective confirmed it. Even now as they were on the ferry heading towards Hanging Neck Island and she stood in a semblance of protective vigil by the sleeping detective, she looked discouraged. Based on how she was standing with her lower back pressed up against the deck railing, she clearly did not want someone to come up from behind her, something she struggled to defend against in training. Best as well she was made the alternate if she could not manage to show off any fighting skills at all to the detective that the fox and himself had drilled into her head. What a waste of so many weeks of training.

Hiei shifted his focus on the fighter Yusuke had brought along, unable to sense much off of him/her, but after watching him/her against the girl and the oaf, he/she was definitely stronger than he/she looked. But why was he/she hiding his/her face?

Hiei's concentration was broken by the captain's announcement from above them. "Welcome to all! I have some good news to tell you. We won't be long to organize the elimination rounds!" Amidst gasps and surprising from around him, including the oaf, Hiei saw a platform rise up from the center of the ferry. "The fifteen teams on the island have already been qualified. From this boat must be left only a single team!"

"The bastards. I thought that we were invited!" the oaf protested. Just because they were all 'invited' did not mean they were guaranteed to become one of the sixteen teams that made it to the Dark Tournament to compete. "Choose the strongest of your team. The surviving team must then participate in the tournament!"

At the captain's announcement, the girl went wide eyed and paled while the oaf began to complain. "A battle royale? A filthy plan if they all pit themselves against me! Yusuke! You go show them the results of your training!" He reasoned even though he somehow missed the fact that the detective was asleep. At least the girl had managed to pick up on that fact way faster that he had. The oaf tried unsuccessfully to wake the detective up and get him to participate in the ferry's fight. "Yusuke! Shit, what now?! You're sleeping?! You're the leader of the team, right?! Wake up, it's your turn!"

The fox stepped over to the oaf and spoke calmly to calm him down. "He must have received severe training. He's sleeping to recover his energy."

The oaf still stayed flustered. "Bah, so?! Who is going to go then?"

The girl was obviously not volunteering. She leaned back as much as she possibly could against the deck railing, hands clasped in front of her mouth.

Luckily the fighter was no coward. He/she walked confidently towards the platform on the boat. "I think that the clown wants to go. We'll see what kind of stomach he has," Hiei commented. The fighter could handle the two weaker humans easily, but he wondered how he/she would handle fighting all those demons.

"And if the idiot loses the match? What do we do then?!" the oaf queried.

"We simply kill all the guys on the boat. That way no one can come and complain afterwards," Hiei stated the obvious.

"What?" the oaf gasped, clearly not a fan of possibly having to fight all the other demons on the boat.

Hiei ignored him and watched the fight commence. All the other demons rushed at the fighter all at once, but he/she took them out with one swift and deadly shot gun attack. Clearly he/she had held back against the girl and oaf as both were still able to walk and complain after their respective fights with him/her.

With a begrudging tone, the captain announced "the sixteenth team selected will be the Urameshi Team!"

"That was the same shotgun as Yusuke," the oaf observed loudly. "Who is this guy?" Finally, a reasonable question came out of his mouth.

"Yusuke sleeps in all confidence," the fox observed.

"He has good reason," Hiei commented before squaring up to fight. The other demons on the boat had expectedly stolen his idea to attack the winner and the other demons on board and were now attacking their team. The oaf panicked and dove out of the way. After defeating several demons with a few swift swings of his sword, Hiei looked over at the girl. The girl pulled the wind serpent out and summoned it into an ax, revealing her most powerful weapon with it, standing guard in front of the detective. She swung the ax clumsily through the air, showing she still struggled to handle its weight and balance appropriately. How did someone who a wind tamer have a weapon that was not even wind based?

In the midst of her swings, she was lead away from where the detective lay, fighting off the demons that had surrounded her one at a time instead of all at once. If she planned on surviving, that was the wrong way to go about it. Hiei closed the distance between the two of them, killing a few of the demons around her to give her the advantage and left the rest to as her problem. She managed to kill the ones he left for her. When she saw how close he was to her, she side stepped away from him hesitantly. He scowled at her when he realized going to her aid was tantamount to her beginning to wrap him around her little finger just as she already had done with both the fox and the detective. That was not going to happen.

"We'll make him sleep for all eternity," echoed a voice of a demon who was still breathing.

"He sleeps. He's asking to be taken advantage of," another breathing demon said.

The girl rushed passed Hiei, uncaring that she bumped into him in the process, as she ran over to wear the detective lay, caring her ax with her hands to high on the handle.

"Shit! Yusuke! He has an opponent right next to him whom he doesn't even know is there!" the oaf shouted, stating the painfully obvious. The detective really needed to find smarter friends. The oaf ran towards the detective as well, not nearly as fast as the girl moved. She had reached the area by the detective first and entered into a one on one battle with a demoness with her own dagger. The girl managed to fend off and defeat the demoness. At least she managed to defeat a few opponents on her own, which meant training her had not been a total waste of time . "Come on, I'll take you! I'm going to draw on my energy!" the oaf shouted as he drew two energy swords, one for each hand, and swung them haphazardly at the nearby demons. "Take that in your face! Clear off!" Hiei was not sure which one them lacked more skill when fighting with a weapon.

Another demon had slipped by both humans and made to strike the sleeping detective. "You're too slow! He's mine!" the demon roared. "Ha ha ha, the glory is mine!"

"It won't be enough!" the oaf howled stupidly. Both humans, the fighter, the fox, and Hiei were too far away the detective to save him.

So the detective ended up sleep fighting his way into saving himself, shouting incoherently about Genkai. The fox put it accurately when he commented that the detective was still training even as he slept. The lot of them continued fighting on the boat with both humans managing to survive the ordeal. When they finally got off the boat, the oaf carried the detective from the dock to their hotel and their hotel rooms' shared common room. The girl continued to follow on the fox's heels as if being so physically close to him would not bother him and would protect her somehow. Hiei wondered vaguely if she was honestly attracted to the fox and that was why she kept in such close proximity to him. She did it before she had kissed him, and was doing it after she had kissed him, which had to mean she had to have some sort of feelings towards the fox. So why not kiss the fox instead if she was damn clingy to him?

A their hotel rooms' shared common room, the girl sat down on the couch first, Hiei decided to have a little bit a fun at the girl's expense. He side stepped Kurama and sat down next to the girl before the fox could to gauge how she would react to him, who he could still tell was apprehensive around him, and how she would react to not being within an inch of physical contact with the fox. She tensed up, closing her eyes for a few seconds, and gave an exhale. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her face took a redder tint, but it was warmer in this room than it had been on the ferry and in the elevator.

The fox meanwhile sat himself down by the fighter while the oaf laid the detective down on the couch opposite of where the rest of them had sat. "Wah, very classy!" the oaf commented about the rooms they were in. The hotel and its noncombatants were robbed, would prove to be yield substantial treasures.

"Excuse me," came a voice from the door. In came a hotel staff member who delivered tea for them to drink and left.

The oaf tensed up at the sight of the harmless looking and smelling drinks. Without hesitation, the fox and Hiei picked up their own cups and began to sip from them. The fighter drank his/hers as well. The girl next to bit her lip and picked up a cup for herself with a shaky hand. "A little wariness... It might be poisoned..." the oaf warned them. The girl stopped her hand in when the mug was almost to her own lips.

The fox spoke first. "Don't be paranoid, the aim of this tournament is noble."

Hiei echoed after him as he took another drink. "He's right. The aim is to prove yourself in combat." He then drank from his own cup in turn. The girl watched them unblinkingly and then wet her lips with her own tea. She licked her lips afterwards, a look that was more seductive than she likely meant or even knew how to mean if what the fox had deduced about her was true. It was not a bad sight to watch, but it was distracting, sending him back to thinking about her lips planted on his and how she looked like she had not enjoyed it at all.

The oaf was still speaking. "We win by being careful! I've brought my own drink," he announced as he pulled a canned drink from his bag.

The fox suddenly jumped, but not at the oaf's words. "Strange, a cup is missing. There should have been five." They all looked down at where the remaining cup on the coffee table.

"Me, I haven't touched it..." the oaf jumped to answer.

"It's fishy," the fox observed. "Yusuke's still sleeping. His cup is missing!"

At the sound of a loud slurping sound, each of the jumped to their feet at the sight of a child like demon perched on the entertainment stand. The girl let her cup slip from her hands, but Hiei reached out and caught it before any more of the tea inside could spill. A breeze seem to roll off her as she nearly summoned up the wind serpent to her neck. Had the girl not been so distracting with licking her lips, Hiei was sure he would have noticed the child like demon before he took the cup.

"He must have been here from the start," the oaf reasoned.

The fox was a bit more logical in his reasoning. "Perhaps, but took the cup without us noticing."

The child like demon smiled and gave an impish laugh. "Hidden? I'm not petty. I entered by the door. I just forgot to knock!" He took off his ridiculous hat and bowed. "Let me introduce myself, my name's Rinku. I'm one of the six Youkai starting the tournament with you." The excitement he felt rolled off of him in waves.

"The six? I thought there had to be five per team?" the oaf asked, confused. Was he really that stupid that he forgot that five fighters and alternate equaled six?

"You don't know about having a replacement? But there's six of you here? At our place we had to draw the replacement by lot. The invitees are lucky. There's not much ceremony or anything before the match." The child like demon balanced himself off the ground skillfully with the tea cup. He enjoyed how confused the oaf was by him. "What's more, you're all going to die so it's not a problem for the payment of the prize!" The girl behind him took a sharp inhale of breath at the happy child like demon's words. "I'm disappointed. It was the winner of the previous tournament who invited you. Tomorrow I'll take you all one by one. I'm going to win," he threatened.

"Rinku, you talk too much," a voice came from behind them. A taller, stocky built demon leaned against the open doorway, stern where the child like demon was playful. The girl took half a hesitant step back from him, stepping on Hiei's foot in the process. She lifted her foot off of him once she realized she stepped on him. He was tempted to kick her for backing up and stepping on him in front of two enemies. Why did she not just throw herself at the stern one like the slut she wanted to be?

"Another one in our room!" the oaf grumbled. "He wasn't there I'm sure!"

"We should be careful," Hiei cautioned in case the oaf did something stupid like trying to pick a fight before the tournament even started.

The child like demon skipped and bounded over to the stern demon. "Oh! Haha, sorry Zeru! I was just playing a game!"

The two of them turned to leave when the stern demon spoke. "Profit well from your last night. Tomorrow you will look like that cup." The lot of them looked down at the cup which was broken in two main pieces and a handful of tiny glass fragments. Hiei noticed a hint of flame around the edge of one of the main pieces puttering out. So the stern one was a fire demon as well.

After the two demons left, the oaf opened his mouth again. "I didn't even see him do that!" the oaf exclaimed.

The girl sank back down to her seat on the couch, fingers in front of her lips, face going white.

Later in the night, all of them had gone to their rooms to sleep. The girl was given her own room laid out for two, the fighter was given the same set up as well. The oaf and the detective shared one room and the fox and Hiei shared their own room. The fox fell asleep easily while Hiei lay awake for a short time, thinking over the dragon he had almost tamed in the hours of his solo training time. If he tamed it right, good. If he did not... it was not a pleasant thought. The dragon he tamed had a wild mind remarkably similar to the mind of the creature the girl was given.

To be on the safe side, he pulled off his headband and sensed around to enter the girl's creature's mind. He could sense it from her room, but barely, like it was a mix of asleep or hiding. He shifted his attention into the girl's mind to see if she were still awake. If she were sleeping, then so would the creature. It was only conscious when she was. Or so he thought. Then girl was still awake, but the creature was unreachable.

Once he slipped inside her head, he figured out real fast why the creature was unreachable when he an image of his own self on top of her, mouth on hers. He pulled out her mind in shock from what she was imagining. From what he gathered from her mind beyond the unexpected image was she was thinking, the creature hid away in her soul to give her privacy. The more interesting, unexpected thing he found out from her was she desired him. It was an unexpected jolt as he had never sensed anyone act that way towards him without wanting something else in return. The fox had been different with from the others and the girl as well. Hiei had pursued that one to a quick, platonic end.

With what the girl was thinking though, with her lack of actual experience, would be manageable; once diffidently. Twice, possibly. He was not sure if he could stand her more than beyond that. She was still a weak, easily frightened fighter. But the prospect of knowing he would get the first to touch he was tempting. But she was a human as well. Once he had her, even one time, he would be labeled a human fucker, hucker, something few demons were tempted to do and fewer actually did. Demons were stronger, lived longer, and were better than humans. Sleeping with one would be like a king bedding a peasant.

He felt tempted to act on her desire tonight to get it over, but let the temptation faded as the tournament commencing tomorrow was a poor choice of timing. Besides, if he bedded her now, anyone might notice and smell her on him or him or her, especially the fox. Worse yet, if he took her and she told someone... He would need to wait until after the tournament, when things quieted down to act on it. She would be his for one night very soon. The thought brought a smile to his face. After that, even the fox could have her for himself if he so chose.


	27. Chapter 27

After Koenma, in teenage form rather toddler form, had entered the Dark Tournament's stadium, he founds the girls, Botan, Keiko, and Shizeru, outside the stadium and brought them up with him to his VIP seats at the back of the stadium before the tournament began. Leaving George with them, he made his way quickly to his team's locker room before their first match began. He could already hear the cheers for their deaths echoing through out the stadium. Once he entered the locker room, he walked in half way through a conversation.

"...so if you step out there with us, we'll be six, even with a sleeping Yusuke. Alternates have to stay out of the arena until they replace a dead fighter. There could be trouble with the tournament committee if we violate that rule."

"You heard Kurama," Kuwabara told Nanashi. "You can't step outside to the arena with us."

"Then... but where should I go?" Nanashi had asked mousily through her fists.

Koenma saw Nanashi standing near Kuwabara and Kurama while Hiei leaned against the wall looking bored, a sleeping Yusuke on the ground, and the Mysterious Masked Fighter Yusuke had told him about watching the conversation with the first three intently from a distance.

"Oh, hey Koemna," Kuwabara said as Koenma walked in. Kurama also said hello, but the rest stayed silent. Nanashi and the Mysterious Masked Fighter nodded to him, and Hiei ignored him. Yusuke stayed asleep, oblivious to what was happening.

"Hello everyone," Koenma said back to the fighters. "I'm here to wish you all good luck and see if you guys needed anything before the match began. Yusuke named me team owner you know." He furrowed his brow at the group of three who had been having what seemed like a bit of an argument. "What seems to be the problem?"

After pausing to look at Nanashi who stayed silent, Kurama spoke. "We're not sure where Nanashi should wait for us during the match," he explained. "She can't come out to the arena with us, but doesn't want to be left here alone. None of us can stay with her either."

Koenma looked at him, puzzled. "Why is she the alternate? She was one the ones invited. Who made her alternate?"

"Yusuke did. Yusuke said he had to have a spot on the team of five, same with the Mysterious Masked Fighter Genkai sent him, Hiei, and myself. That left one spot of the team and he had to decide whether Nanashi or Kuwabara would take the final spot and who would become alternate." Kurama's gaze shifted down to the Mysterious Masked Fighter. "To fairly decide that, each were attacked by the Mysterious Masked Fighter. After those fights, Yusuke gave Kuwabara the final spot."

"I see," Koenma responded. "Well then, in that case," he began, stepping over towards Nanashi and holding out his hand to her, "Nanashi, you can come with me and sit with me."

Nanashi looked nervously at him when he approached her and then the wind serpent around her neck jumped up and snapped its jaws at Koenma's outstretched hand. Koenma jumped back and moved back towards the door. The wind serpent curled around her neck, hissing and biting in the air, angry eyes on Koenma. Koenma cringed at the memory of when it bit him when he tried to run tests on the two of them. He recalled the bite practically burned with its fangs sunk into his hand.

"I told you to leave him alone," Nanashi snapped, clearly irritated. The others around them, except Yusuke, seemed on edge and confused by her outburst. "Oh no he was not... Now," she finished and the wind serpent settled down, returned to her hide underneath her neck and shoulders. She blinked wide eyed and looked around the room at the others. "Oh... sorry," she murmured. She looked up at Koenma and met his eyes. Surprisingly, she held his gaze, which she had not done before, as she spoke. "I'm sorry sir. The wind serpent..." she moved her jaw slightly and parted her lips, "... still doesn't trust you since you tried to run experiments on him. I'm really sorry." When she finished speaking, she looked down. "Can I still go with you sir? Please."

Koenma felt that he'd rather not after her wind serpent had tried to attack him, but rescinding his invitation would be just too cruel to do her. Here was a quiet, young, shy human girl thrown into the chaos of being on a spirit detective team. When he first met her, she was terrified, hardly able to speak or take anything in and no idea how to fight or fully realizing what she agreed to do. She had learned though. Toughened up under Kurama and Hiei's training. Looking him in the eyes was a sign she was growing less mousy and more resilient. Progress was being made. She had not crumbled yet.

"Of course," he told her hesitantly. He bade the others good bye and good luck and had her follow him out the door. He noticed she did not stand so very close to him as she did with Kurama, perhaps because she was wary her wind serpent would attack him again. On the long walk from the locker room to their seats, he struck up a conversation with her. "So, how was your training?"

She made a sound with her breath that sounds a lot like um, and then explained slowly and vaguely. "... it went well... I I I, it was hard, but manageable. I learned a lot sir. And did a lot of running...Um, I can keep my wind serpent up longer now... and I, uh, um, well I... sleep better..."

She must have built up more confidence if she was able to talk to him more than before without frightened babbling. Now it was mainly babble. It still took her too long to speak, but she would was at least doing so. "How did your training differ with Kurama for the Dark Tournament versus training with him before your invitation?"

She tensed up at the reminder of her invitation from Elder Toguro, but eventually responded. "Not very different," she whispered. Swallowing, she spoke a little louder. "Just longer is all. All day for most days..."

"And with Hiei?" he asked cautiously, worried she still might have an element of fear of him. According to Kurama, she had been absolutely terrified of him when they first met, and then he threatened to kill her after she tried to refuse to fight in the tournament. Neither were good signs if both of them were going to have to be on the same spirit detective team. At least both of them had strong friendships with Kurama. Maybe he could moderate between the two of them so she would at least be less frightened of him?

"Um... hmm..." she sighed uncomfortably.

When she had not continued speaking for more than a dozen steps, he spoke again. "That bad huh?" He looked at her and she had her head down, looking at her feet as they walked. So much for having a conversation with her. "Look, whatever he said or did was meant to help you and make you stronger." She stayed silent for another count of twelve steps. "From what I've heard from Kurama, Hiei means well in his own way, but not always in a clear way." 'If he likes you well enough. If he doesn't...' he thought quietly. Her lips twitched and she shook her head. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. "What do you know of the Mysterious Masked Fighter? Did Yusuke tell anything else about them beyond Genkai sent them and they have to get a slot on the team of five?"

Nanashi shook her head. "No... Beyond that, that's all Yusuke told us... Or seems to know himself..." At the tenth step, she spoke again. "They're fast... Accurate when they fight... They can shot gun like Yusuke can... Better than Yusuke can..." She spoke more than she used to, but was now being vague. Baby steps.

After another twelve, Nanashi was clearly not going to say anything more, so Koenma let the conversation drop. In the silent walk, Nanashi seemed more comfortable around him, walking closer to him but thankfully not as close as she does with Kurama, even though she did tense up at the sounds of the crowd shouting for the death of their team mates. She looked frightened at the shouts, but with a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

Once they reached the VIP seating area, Nanashi got to meet Keiko and Shizeru for the first time and was reacquainted with Botan again after the two of them had not seen each other for a number of weeks. When Botan jumped up and hugged her, Nanashi was shocked at the more chipper girl's reaction, but completely unafraid. Botan pulled her down to sit next to her, pestering her several questions about her training. When Nanashi was vague with her answers, Botan continued to plead "details! Details!" Nanashi went to say something, when Botan burst out another set of questions. "Just how awful was it to have to live with those three men? Did they shower regularly? I can imagine Kurama did at the very least. Did they hog all the hot water? Just how awkward was it for you to have to share a bathroom with the three of them? When you shaved, did you leave your razor in the bathroom?"

As Nanashi floundered under the weight of Botan's questions, George turned quickly to Koenma. "A letter for you sir," he said, handing the prince the sealed envelope. The envelope had no seal or any markings of any kind on it. The letter could contain anything.

"Who gave this to you?" Koenma asked suspiciously. Shizeru looked up at them curiously. Koenma shook his head at her. Shizeru gave him a 'whatever' look, and turned to Keiko to speak with her. Once that conversation and Botan and Nanashi's conversations were moving along, Koenma spoke to George again. "Who gave this to you?" he asked as quietly as he could.

"I don't know sir, I didn't get a chance to ask, I'm sorry," George responded too loudly.

"Well what did they look like?" Koenma hissed.

"I, I didn't get a good look at him sir. He did have long black hair and black clothing. He asked me where you were and when I told him you went to check on the team. He told me to give this to you and you alone."

Koenma gave an annoyed sigh and stepped away from the lot of them. When George tried to follow him, he ordered "stay here. In case something happens when it opens."

He stepped away on his own, entering an empty passage way that led to the stadium. He examined the envelope carefully, trying to see if anything else was in their besides a letter. Taking the risk, he tore into the side envelope at the same slow speed in which Nanashi would speak, holding his breath should a poison emerge from it into the air. He slid the small, half sheet piece of the letter out of the envelope carefully into his palm. He grabbed the corner of the letter with his thumb and forefinger, shaking it out to see if anything else was in there. When nothing was there, he turned the brought the blank side of the letter up to his eyes and turned it around. Scanning the letter's thin, calligraphy like writing, he swore under his breath. He folded up the letter, slipped it back in the envelope, put the envelope in his pocket, and went back to where George and the girls were sitting.

"Nanashi," he said tersely, making the other girls and George look up at him with worried faces. Nanashi looked the most concerned. "Urgh," he grunted out. He had to come up with another question to ask. He was not sure if he should even bother to tell her about the letter as it would frighten her. "What Kuwabara's chances in the tournament?" he rushed out. She shrugged in nonverbal response.

Shizeru responded verbally for her, "he'll live. Might get his ass kicked a few times, but he'll survive." She spoke with confidence. "Is that all your worried about?" she queried, looking suspiciously at the pocket he was hiding the envelope in.

After a quick glance over to Nanashi, he responded with a terse "for now."

Luckily the conversation was grounded to abrupt halt as the announcer called for the match to begin. Koenma took a seat next to Nanashi, half watching the matches the unfolded, half watching over her and for a reappearance of the demon who gave George the letter. She looked annoyed at Kuwabara's embarrassing loss and relieved at Kurama's win. The way she looked at Kurama made him wonder if there was anything more to it than their friendship. When Hiei fought, she could hardly keep her eyes on the match, cringing when he was struck. She kept mumbling under breath during the fight. He missed her reaction to Hiei summoning up a demon world hell dragon because his own shock. Once Hiei had won and stepped out of the arena, Koenma turned his gaze to Nanashi and saw her face was pale and hands clenched on the thighs of her pants. She must be scared of him still. With Yusuke's match, she watched intently, relieved as well when he won his match.


	28. Chapter 28

A team meeting was called later in the evening after the first match ended. What was the point? Just win your fights. Try not to get killed. The oaf hopefully could manage the later. Hiei sat on the window sill, allowing the cold night to blow over his right arm. It was almost soothing and helped numb the pain ever so slightly.

Once the prince, now back in toddler form, arrived to the hotel's common room, he called the meeting immediately with all the fighters there, but not the alternate.

"Yo, what's up Koenma? What about Nanashi? She should be here too," Yusuke said, getting up from his spot on the couch to go get her. Likely she was either in her room reading or with the other girls suffering under the grim reaper's high pitched, squealing voice.

Once the detective move, the oaf just up from his kitchen chair he was sitting on and jumped up to sit in the detective's seat. "Dude, when I get back, you had better be out of my seat," the detective warned him before he started to go after Nanashi.

"Wait Yusuke," the prince told him with a warning tone. The detective paused at the sound of his tone. "This is actually about her."

The detective turned back around and wrestled with the oaf noisily until he managed to shove the oaf out of his original seat on the couch. The detective sat back down and kicked the oaf who was now sitting on the floor for good measure. "What about her?"

Hiei rolled his eyes. Sounded like even the prince was under her spell. If she tried that on him after he slept with her, she would not like the result.

The prince jumped up onto the coffee table and pulled out an envelope, laying it down at the center of the table. There was a malicious presence coming off the parchment, but other than that, it was harmless. "George was given a letter to give to me earlier today. He doesn't know who it was that gave it to him. Someone with black clothes and hair."

The oaf snatched up the envelope without bothering to check if it was safe to do so. He tore it open, ripping the paper within it in almost in half. He looked at the letter upside down and complained "I can't read any of this. Do you think Nanashi can because she reads so much?"

The detective snatched the letter away from the oaf, holding it upside down and then turning it right side up. "You moron, you tried to read it upside down. Of course you can't read it." The detective turned back to the letter and read it, frowning at it. He looked up at the prince and asked "what the hell does it mean by 'claiming her'?"

The fox jumped up first, Hiei a delayed reaction a split second later. The fox stole the letter away from the detective and read it standing. Hiei stood by him, trying to see the letter from the height difference between the two men. The fox handed the letter over to him next to read. The short letter simply read: "What a strong little human girl you have there. I wouldn't mind mate claiming her." So someone else wanted her. He or she could have her afterwards.

The Mysterious Masked Fighter came over to Hiei and gentle plucked the letter from his left hand and examined it.

"Alright, when two demons looked scared, I'm worried," the detective said, breaking the silence. "Want to break it down for those of us here who don't understand why two sentences are terrifying?"

"He calls her strong," the fox whispered.

"She's not that strong," Hiei responded.

"For a human she is," the fox argued.

"A strong one among the weak is still weak," Hiei countered. "Pit her against a real demon and she'll panic and be useless."

"She improved in her training more than I expected."

"Less than I expected."

"If you had helped more," the fox cuttingly closing the argument with a warning tone.

The detective was snapping his fingers. "Yo, bicker on your own time. Letter. Claiming. Explain."

Kurama began to explain. "Mate claiming is the way demons marry essentially. But in the a different way as human marriage. They are done privately, uh, in a bedroom. A mate claim is done for life. It can be..." he paused, debating how much to share. Would he share the part where the male claims the female with three bites to her body at her neck, chest, and mound, and then has sex with her? Once the claim it made, it was irrevocable. Try to act physically romantically outside of matehood, then they could die if their mate did not kiss them in time. Commonly mate claims were done out of love and desire, rarely, but not unheard of, they were done forcefully. "... aggressive, border line abusive. That is if done consensually and the claimer can hold back from seriously harming the claimed."

"And if it's not consensual?" the detective hazard.

"Even if there is consent, permanent injury and murder can happen. Whether accidentally or intentionally. It's not something I would ever want to do," the fox finished.

"So someone is threatening to rape and then kill her?" the detective asked, clearly pissed off.

"Possibly," the fox replied neutrally. "We have no way to tell if this letter poses a legitimate threat against Nanashi or not. Not unless we know who wrote it."

The detective turned on the prince. "Where the hell is that ogre butler of yours?! I'm going to take him and drag him into every single hotel room in this damn place until he finds the one who gave him this letter. Then I'll drag that motherfucker to every single room until we find the writer. Then when we find him, that motherfucker is going to die!"

"I'm with you Urameshi! Let's go find them," the oaf said, jumping up with him as well.

"Wait," the prince said, cutting through the humans' over protectiveness. "George says it was a demon with black clothes and black hair. Do you know how many people in this hotel could fit either or both of those descriptions. Hiei even fits those descriptions. It's a noble response, but impossible. And will also warn the writer that not only we are taking his threat seriously, it would show we are frightened as well. If I could send her home, I would. But I can't because she was invited. Sending her home would be a death sentence for the whole team."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do? Hope the writer realizes how ugly she is up close and changes his mind?" the oaf questioned stupidly. How he was still breathing without being able to think was impressive.

The detective did a double a take at the oaf's words. "Hey, what have I told you about not calling her ugly!? She's not! And she better not hear you say that!" The two of them began wrestling in an exemplary display of human immaturity.

The fighter moved over to them, grabbing them by their hair and knocking their head together, shutting the two of them up. The fighter shifted his/her gaze to the prince. He/she held up one finger and shook his/her head. He/she held up two fingers and nodded.

The fox studied the fighter's body language, deducing what he/she meant. "We shouldn't leave her alone. Someone should be with her with at all times."

Hiei bulked at the idea. Looked like she may have had the mute fight under her charm now as well. How the hell did she do it? Everyone there seemed under her spell. He rounded on the fighter. "You're suggesting that we not only fight is this tournament but protect a human girl on top of that? One that we trained," he gestured to himself and the fox. "The demon who made the threat didn't even bother to deliver the letter directly. And called her strong, which means he or she thinks she could defend herself if attacked. Jumping up to protect her like she's a charming little princess would send the message that she actually can't defend herself. It would send the message that she is weak, making her more of a target for this demon to attack her, let alone any other demon."

"But if she looked weaker, she would be less desirable," the fox countered.

"And how does that work?" the detective asked, cutting back into the conversation.

The fox spoke up. "Looks aren't important to demons. Unlike with humans, beauty counts for very little among demons. Demons desire strength and ability the way humans desire beauty. The way Nanashi's face looks matter less and how physically and spiritually strong she matters more. Her attractiveness to demons, whether they care to admit it or not, could be increased with the fact that she has the wind serpent, a rare weapon with a mind of its own."

"So are we playing body guard?" the detective asked, looking from Hiei to the fox.

"No," Hiei said at the same time the fox said "Yes."

"She's capable of defending herself when she doesn't freeze up," Hiei pointed out. "She doesn't need a body guard."

"If she is attacked and she freezes up, then she may suffer a fate worse than death," the fox argued.

"If he or she really want her, none of us will be able to stop it."

The fox turned back to the detective. "We keep her guarded. You need to tell her not to go out alone. She'll listen to you above all of us. If we can, move one of the girls who came here into her room."

"I'm not guarding her," Hiei interrupted.

"What is your problem with her?" the detective said to Hiei. "Because she gets scared and cries? By the way, you need to give her back that last book you stole from her. And replace the one you burned."

"She can defend herself," Hiei told him, dodging the questions and admitting that both books were burnt, the last one after the kiss in anger, and were not going to be replaced.

"We'll take a vote," the detective decided. "Hand up if you want her guarded?" Everyone in the room raised their hands. "Don't have to ask what your vote is," the detective snided at Hiei.

A heavy silenced settled on the room. It was broken by the oaf. "So, what do we tell her? Do we tell her about the letter and its threat? Or why we're going to guard her?"

"I'll talk to her," the detective said seriously. The second the words we out of his mouth, the door opened wide and a breathless Nanashi appeared. The detective rushed towards her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She caught her breath and looked up at him confused. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was, um, just with Botan and the other girls and well, we want the team's copy of the menu... We want to order room service is all."

"And you were running because?"

"You can't make anymore orders for the night in about 20 minutes."

"Oh, well the menu is over there," the detective pointed to it hanging from a hook on the wall by the common room's kitchenette.

"I know," she said, making her way towards the menu and snagging it up. "What's going on here?" she asked with a frown. She must have finally picked up on the tension in the room's atmosphere.

"It's nothing," the detective rushed out. "A team meeting."

She looked at him surprised and then grumpy. "Just the five of you then?"

"Shit, look, it's not like that," he responded gently. "We're just talking about the next match is all." He fumbled with his hands, putting them in his pockets and then taking the out again. "But while I got you here, um." She looked at his impatiently. "In a like just in case scenario, you shouldn't go out alone. None of us should go out alone really, but you really shouldn't as your the alternate and we may need you. Just kind of be safe and cautious and all that I guess," he fumbled over his words.

She huffed at him, walking passed him. She stopped at the doorway and looked back at him pouting. "I may-" she shook her head and stopped her words. "You may have made me the alternate, but I'm- I'll be fine." She turned away from the him and ran off.

The detective ran after her, calling for her. About two minutes later, the detective returned, scratching the back of his head. "Well, that could have gone better," he concluded.


	29. Chapter 29

Hiei heard the fox call for him out in the woods. He went and found him, even though it was so close to time where they needed to start the next match of the tournament.

"Hiei? You alright?" the fox asked from his roost in a nearby tree.

Hiei was tempted to ignore him, but knew he would drag the conversation out if he did. "What are you talking about?"

"Your arm? You know that it'll get tough soon?"

The fox was too worried for his own good. He had taken the brunt of the body guard duties with the girl.

The body guard system with the girl had stuck with all the fighters except Hiei. The prince's ogre also stood secret vigil outside her door at night just in case. During most of the days, it was no wonder the fox was the one dragging the girl along with him most places he went, like to watch the other matches. Hiei was surprised she was not out her with him now. Perhaps Koenma had her now as the next match was starting very soon.

"I didn't have a choice. It's too late..." Hiei responded.

"We must be sure," a masculine voice echoed across the woods from them. "We must overcome them." Two tailed demons emerged from the trees, looking both pitiful and ready to fight. Both were members from Team Ichigaki.

So this was why the fox wanted him out here, should he be cornered alone. Well, a two on two fight outside the tournament should be interesting. No rules to worry about. No ten count.

At least it would have been before the girl came sprinting into the clearing, slowing to halt next to the fox. Her the bottom half of her pant legs were mud splattered and frayed at the ends, indicating she must have run here directly instead of trying to find a trail. She saw the Team Ichigaki fighters, and squared herself up for a fight, showing off the wind serpent without a second thought. She showed the creature off too much. If the fox was relieved to have a break from her, then he had another thing coming.

"What are you doing out here?" the fox asked her, eyes still on the two in front of them. His bigger concern seemed to be what was she doing alone in the woods.

Without taking her eyes off the two in front of them, she responded. "You two were missing before the match. I was... worried. So after the others went off to the arena, I came looking... sensed you two out here."

"Does anyone else know that's what you did?" the fox asked, clearly annoyed with her. She shook her head. "You can't just wonder off like that out here. It's dangerous."

"I didn't wonder off. I knew where I was going," she sassed back. With a gentler voice, she continued to speak. "Besides, it was nice to finally be alone for a change."

"He's right human girl," one of the Team Ichigaki demons called out to her. "You wouldn't want to be caught away from your team would you?" he asked with a hint of a threat.

The girl bit her lower lip and lifted her foot up to take a step back. To her credit, she put her foot back down on the ground where she had it originally. The wind serpent around her neck gave a low hiss at the demon across the clearing. The sound succeeded to make the two demons glance nervously at each other.

The fox looked down at the girl, then Hiei, then the weaker of the two demons across from him. He gave them an almost imperceptible nod. In a flash, each of them had their respective weapons drawn and cut the weaker demon down, much to the surprise of his counterpart. Too easy. The girl could have done it herself if she really wanted to.

The girl looked a bit pale at the sight of the corpse she helped create, but stayed in control of her reaction. Her wind serpent went back up around her neck. She had been taught to put that completely away when no fighting to save her energy, but she rarely listened when she was told something vital like that during training.

"They think they can slow us down with these miserable things?" the fox asked disbelievingly.

"They're clumsy," Hiei observed. "They're going to die," he added passively.

Unexpectedly, the demon across from them looked more excited than nervous. "No thanks, we don't want to.. A change in the team." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a rectangular remote, pressing one of the buttons. He smirked at the loud, crashing sound coming from the forest behind him. A massive, one eyed creature came to rest next to him. "The armored monster of destruction. A masterpiece of the professor. It is invincible. Kill them!"

The monster charged the three of them, elongating its arms, trying to catch them. Before jumping away, the fox shoved the girl out of the way of the creature's claws.

Using his left hand, Hiei swung his sword against the arm that had missed grabbing him by a mile. His sword just clinked uselessly against it.

"The sword is nothing against that!" the demon shouted gleefully. His snake like tongue dance grotesquely outside of his mouth. "Ha ha,its armor is made from a special substance! A child's sword will do nothing to it, it has nothing to fear!"

Who was he calling a child? Hiei turned his focus to the demon. "I must rid myself of this idiot!" But the lost focused was a mistake as one of the monster's claws pinned him against a tree. "Ah!" he shouted out in a mix of surprise and pain.

"Hiei!" the fox shouted while currently trying to dodge the other arm pursuing him.

"Ha ha ha! Useless! You're no more than a miserable pile of meat!" the demon taunted.

"Another taunt worth dying for. "He's going to pay for that!" Hiei warned as he began to summon up his new newly acquired dragon in his left hand.

"Don't do that!" the fox shouted as he charged towards Hiei, making the arm pursuing him strike the arm holding Hiei, freeing him in the process.

The girl, who had been useless sense the monster arrived, gave a small scream followed immediately followed by the demon give a surprised shout.

Instead of looking over at the demon after landing on the ground, Hiei turned and looked at where the fox stood, rose whip out and ready as the two claw came at him. "Kurama!" Hiei shouted. The claws landed on the ground with a deafening crash.

"Good job! Crush that bastard!" the demon shouted. "Owe!... You fucking brat!... Give that back!"

When the dust cleared around the crater created in the ground, the fox stood easily between the two claws, rose whip inside the creature through an opening in its wrist. The fox now had control of the creature. He jumped up easily and landed on the now docile creature's shoulder. With a smirk, Hiei flitted up to stand on the other shoulder. Both of them looked down at the scene before them.

The girl was sitting on the demon's stomach, pinning him down beneath her. She was holding the remote high in the air. Her right hand was hovering over the demon's throat where her wind serpent rested its jaw around the demon's throat. There were bite marks on his face and shoulders. This team must have left the weak ones out to ambush them.

"Get off me brat! Even if you have that remote, you don't know how to control the doctor's monster. On those on our team know how!" the demon shouted at her. The girl threw the remote across the woods in response. "Damned human!" The demon's eyes flitted up to Hiei and the fox on the monster finally. "How?! Impossible..."

The fox spoke cool and calculatingly. "I only had to discipline him. It really isn't that difficult. I have much to teach him about pain. It doesn't take much to die."

The demon started squirming underneath the girl, laughing vulgarly up at her. She jumped uncomfortably, startled. Maybe she should have sat higher up on top of him. Her wind serpent growled and snapped its head up and bit his jaw, making he swear at the girl some more. "Damn it! Call that damned thing off!" The girl nodded and the wind serpent put its fangs back on the demon's neck.

"Nanashi," the fox called down to her softly. "You can get off of him now. He's no longer a threat." The girl complied, stepping gingerly to her feet and stepping away from the demon. The demon looked between the three of them, unsure of which one of them to be more scared of now. "And what is you decision?" the fox asked the demon. "Obedience or death?"

After a good deal of physical persuasion, the tailed demon sang like a canary, revealing what the mad doctor had done and where they were hiding the taken over fighters' master. The girl seemed to be growing increasingly uncomfortable at the scene to the point where she shoved her way passed Hiei, and knocked the tailed demon out, ending his ability to say anymore and rendering Hiei's action ineffective now. After a cross look from Hiei, the girl tensed up, stumbling away from him quickly. Must be interesting to be interested in someone you find terrifying. She scurried away after the fox who was making his way towards the cave the tailed demon told them about.

Once they reached the cave, they found the taken over fighters' master. The fox set to healing him right away with the girl propping the weakened master uselessly up against her, speaking soothingly to him during the process. Why hold him? It would not help the fox's work.

Once the master was fully healed, they used the monster the fox took control of and made it back to the tournament's arena. Once in the arena, without being told, the girl jumped off the monster, landing in the front row of the the seats directly behind their team. She stayed there, watching the rest of the match, the freeing of the three taken over fighters in the arena, and the detective's attack on the mad doctor.

The next important thing to happen was an announcement that the next match, their next match of the tournament would take place immediately. With the detective, oaf, and fighter tired out, this could prove to be a chance to have a few good fights in this tournament finally. At a glance up, Hiei saw a nurse walking over to them. The sight and sense of her showed she a not a bad mix of strength, power, and beauty.


	30. Chapter 30

So the match with the Team Urameshi were starting right away on after their last match. A good bit unfair for the lot of them, but they should be able to handle it. It was after all a team with three young humans, one demon in a human body, an exiled demon, and a fighter who turned out to be another human. Getting to fight with them one on one to the last man was still an exciting proposition for Jin. He wondered if the demon in the human body or the exiled demon were the other rumored wind mage that was fighting in this tournament.

Just when it was about to get started, a medical examination for Team Urameshi was announced. A delay in the fun. Until the sight of the medical examiner, the enchantress Ruka dressed as a nurse sauntered over to the other team. She was an enchantress, a call girl, hired by the tournament's committee. She worked closest with their team's sponsor, entertaining him above the other committee members. She had entrapped two of Team Urameshi's fighters in her own force field, rendering them unable to fight in this match, and severely pissing off their team's captain, who was screaming at Koto, the tournament's referee. It was distasteful. In protest to the underhandedness of it, Jin opted to not take part in the first fight. He stepped out of the arena, bristling at the idea that this match was rigged so it would be two tired and one grievously injured fighters against his team, five able bodied and well rested fighters.

Gama, still robed, spoke to Jin as he walked passed. "Two against five. He he. Jin, you have it easy!"

"Not funny," Jin told him dismissively. "I've changed my mind. I'll go later."

"What?"

"You heard what I said!" Jin hissed out in warning.

"You're going to go!" Gama ordered, bringing a hand to Jin's shoulder.

Without hesitation, Jin grabbed Gama's hand and pulled it off of him easily. "You don't give orders to me, understand?" Jin stepped away, settling down against the wall while Gama jumped into the ring. If this match were to be a corrupted, easy victory, then Jin thought it best to avoid fighting in this match. Jin watched the first two fights, playing out rather interestingly. The demon in a human body, named Kurama, was a fox demon with the ability to manipulate plants. Not the other wind mage. He did fight cleverly though, even as weak as he was. It could be the other demon trapped by Ruka right now. Wind demons not associated or related to the Hayato clan, which were isolationists loosely associated with Demon Lord Mukuro, were rare. He had not seen another one in years. Where was he/she?

Kurama could not keep up the fighting though after defeating Touya. He passed out standing up. He would make for a remarkable opponent to fight one day, but not in his weakened state. Bakuken did not seem to mind as he jumped into the ring and attacked the unconscious Kurama. For the human team captain, Yusuke, it was the last straw as he took aim on Bakuken from the ground outside of the arena.

Then another person took aim from behind Yusuke in the stands, their team's alternate on the lists, the female human, reacted in pace with him. With one foot propped up against the railing, she held out a bow and arrow conjured from her own energy, a natural weapon for a wind mage, and looked down at Bakuken ruthlessly. A breeze rolled over her tousled hair, exemplifying the fact that she had power over it. She was determined, she was powerful, she was unafraid, and she was...

"...strong," Jin whispered, looking unbelievably on the impossible girl that stole his heart. How could just the sight of her for the first time cause him to fall in love with her? If his team won this match, then, he promised himself, he would save her from the certain death her team faced if they lost.

Bakuken, unaware of what the human girl and Yusuke were doing, was about to make a finishing blow against the unconscious Kurama. Risho, still robed, who had noticed as well what the humans were doing, spoke up. "Stop!"

Bakuken stopped, turning over to Risho, asked "why did you stop me?"

"You have failed. Look behind you." Bakuken turned and looked as Risho commanded. "See the boy and the girl behind him in the stands? They're serious. They're both ready to put the world behind them to save that guy. Our objective is to survive. It must be made certain." Bakuken looked both humans over before tossing Kurama out of the ring without a care.

Yusuke rushed over to him while the girl leaned over the railing, calling out with a soft, concerned voice "is he okay?"

Yusuke ignored her. Instead, he jumped into the arena and looked ready to take Bakuken out.

Before that fight started, Jin watched the human girl intently. She leaned over the railing, clearly worried about her injured team mate. Her clothing and hair were disheveled like she had been in a fight earlier. Who had touched her? A demon behind her took the opportunity to kick her lower back, sending her toppling over the railing and into the area outside the arena. Jin stared at her harder, trying to gauge if she were injured from the fall. She sat up with a grimace, embarrassment coloring her face a soft shade of pink. She appeared unharmed as she hurriedly crawled towards Kurama and gently lifted his face up to hers. What was he to her? Was he her lover? Could she be so close yet so far?

The intercom went off before the match between Yusuke and Bakuken started. "Pause the match. Team Urameshi has too many fighters in the arena." The voice over the intercom was correct. Team Urameshi now had six fighters in the arena with the girl, their alternate, on the ground. A move like that would cause their whole team to be immediately disqualified. If the disqualification happened, Jin figured he would have just enough time to get her and get out of there.

"I'm the team medic," she shouted frightfully. She was a medic too. Not only was she a strong, human, wind mage, she was some sort of healer too. She had many talents. Yet, she looked afraid, which Jin did not like. He wanted her safe and sound, above winning this tournament now and getting this island as part of his team's prize. He would give it all up just to protect her.

"The medic is allowed. Resume the match," the intercom voice ruled. Jin breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe.

The girl looked relieved as well as she pulled Kurama over to her, embracing him. Was she healing him? Jin could not tell from this distance, but it looked like Kurama had kissed her forehead before she lay her head on his shoulder and neck. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders. Just how intimate were the two of them?

Jin's thoughts were interrupted as Yusuke sent Bakuken flying passed him and into the stands. The human looked livid and ready for a real fight should Bakuken manage to get up and fight after that. When the ten count ended, Yusuke left the arena and went to check on the medic and Kurama. Was she really a medic though? Who would name their medic their alternate? Or their alternate their medic? Could they find no one else?

"Kurama?" Yusuke asked.

The medic and Kurama looked up at Yusuke. Kurama had grabbed her hands, holding tightly to her. Could it just be what she was doing, how she healing him that had him acting like this. Surely they were not a couple.

"I'm sorry..." Kurama responded. "... I was tryng to take out those three..."

"And you? Are you better?" Yusuke asked concerned.

"I'm more badly hurt by the plant than by my wounds. Even with Nanashi's wind serpent, it's hard to get rid of it. Indeed... It's all my own fault!" A wind... serpent? What was that? Was that this girl's wind ability? How did that work? Did that make her a healer as well as a fighter?

"You have a rest. Our medic will take of ya. I'll take on the last two," Yusuke promised Kurama. He turned and headed back into the arena. So she was indeed a medic after all.

"Look after yourself," Kurama called to him.

Yusuke stepped into the arena, looking more than ready for a fight. Even in her embrace with Kurama, their medic, their wind mage, looked upon him in hope. He was their last chance at victory. With the girl watching on, Jin rose up from his seat against the arena's wall, ready to fight. She would watch him fight, watch him show her just powerful he was as well. When he won, he planned to save her from the tournament committee.


	31. Chapter 31

"Is he okay?," came a soft voice, jostling Kurama from his pained rest on the ground by the wall of the arena. Kurama tried to turn his head up to the sound of the voice, but winced as the death plant wounding its way around his heart and arteries. The pain tug sharply from his neck down to his heart. Getting this death plant out of his system was going to take time and a precious amount of energy.

Through a muffled echo under the ringing sound in Kurama's ears heard a rough voice laugh "down in front." The next sound that followed was an annoyed huff. The idea of moving his head to look over to see what made that noise was unbearable, making him give off a painful sounding groan.

"Kurama," came the demure voice. He knew that voice, but needed more time to place it. After the voice, a delay in any action was followed by soft, smooth hands cupping his face. The hands, however gentle, jarred his body, making him wince internally as the vines were jarred. "Kurama, wake up," the sweet voice requested clearly. Resisting its plea was impossible. To avoid any pain from moving his body again, he opened one eye, seeing Nanashi's own concerned face in line with his. She shouldn't be here, so close to him. The match could not over yet. Yusuke could not have possibly won so fast. If she came to the arena during the match, she may have sentenced their whole team to death for a rule violation. Alternates could not enter the arena unless they replaced a dead team mate. She knew that too.

Kurama closed his eye in the confusion of why she was so close to him. Before he could attempt to respond, the intercom went off. "Pause the match. Team Urameshi has too many fighters in the arena."

"Oh fuck," Nanashi swore. Kurama, opened his eyes to look at her in surprise and then winced as even that movement hurt. He had not known she even knew that word. Loudly she shouted, making his ears ring, "I'm the team medic!" Oh all the lies to tell them, that one was possibly believable considering they had not registered a medic for their team. She was still listed as an alternate.

After a few difficult, trudging heart beats, the intercom ruled "the medic is allowed. Resume the match."

Nanashi gave a loud, audible sigh or relief. "Kurama, what can I do to help?" she pleaded in a soft whisper.

Kurama stirred, desiring to answer her, resting his head in her hands. Her hands gave off a flowery, perfumed scent. Breathing it in reminded him that once the death plant fully encompassed his heart, it would go for his lungs next. A slow, strangling death then would be the result if the death plant was not worked out of his veins soon. A death that she may be able to help prevent.

Struggling to speak, he explained what might work. An idea he had developed from his research about the elemental serpents. "If you want to help then...," even moving his jaw to speak was painful, tugging the vines of the death plant that were in the blood vessels of his face that grew from the roots attached to his heart. "... use your spirit energy to help with the plant. I'll warn you though...," he had to stop as he gave a strangled, deep breath followed by a strangled cough. "...it could be very, eh, intimate." Without anymore explaining, she understood what he needed her to do; to bring her wind serpent into his blood stream to transfer her own energy into his and possibly to itself assist in the removal of the death plant.

When her wind serpent did exactly what he needed her to do, to enter his blood stream and help him, it created an intense, wonderful, tightening coil of a feeling. Kurama felt like he could fully breathe for the first time without the need to even breathe. He took a deep breath in reaction to it. The wind serpent inside of him had an electric twinge to it as it reshaped itself and moved straight for his heart, tearing away at the death plant's roots without harming his heart or blood vessels. It was a freeing feeling as his heart was slowly but surely being released. His blood flowed freer, warming up his hands, fingers, feet, and toes again. He had no idea they had even felt cold until that moment. Blood began flow heavily to one other place as well, creating an reaction of arousal for a woman, especially this girl, for the first time. It was as inappropriate as it was annoying.

Nanashi clearly felt it even more as she panted beside him, sweaty hands holding more firmly now to his face and then moving to rest heavily on his shoulders. Her forehead came to rest on his chin as she panted. The poor girl, unaware of what exactly was happening to her, was being overwhelmed by the sudden arousal that came from contact with blood with demons. He could smell her own building arousal. She moved her body to cuddle closer to him, heavy head now resting on the crook where his neck met his shoulder. She moaned desirously, her warm breath and soft lips barely touching the skin of his neck. Inadvertently, she sent shivers down his spine. If only no one was looking.

Nanashi's reaction was too strong. She may try to act on it in front of the whole stadium if he was not careful. Warningly, he told her "I warned you. Stay quiet and don't try to kiss me too." If she was too noisy or too squirmy, an enemy in the crowd might think they were a couple, which put both of them at risk; her most of all with the potential mate claim threat against her. Catching himself a second too late that he had revealed to her that he knew about her kissing Hiei.

"You know about that?" she breathed against his neck again, sending shivers down his spine. The feeling was tortuous, creating a powerfully strong desire to sleep with her once the death plant was out of his system. Based on the way she was reacting, she would willingly give herself up to him. He didn't want to want her so badly. He would hardly have to move to get her on his lap...

Yusuke's voice cut in, pulling his mind out away from his desire to bed her. "Kurama?" Yusuke called closely to him. Nanashi pulled away from Kurama, tugging at the vines still inside of painfully. Kurama, ignoring those painful tugs against his heart, grabbed her hands to keep her from going too far away from him.

Cutting through the ache in his chest, Kurama spoke. "I'm sorry... I was trying to take out those three..." by three, he meant three of the fighters from the other team.

"And you? Are you better?" Yusuke asked. His voice sounded like Nanashi's, but with a more tenorous twang.

Speaking was easier now as the death plant had a weakened grip on his heart. Speaking was less painful now. "I'm more badly hurt by the plant than by my wounds. Even with Nanashi's wind serpent, it's hard to get rid of it. Indeed... it's all my own fault!"

Yusuke gave a cocky laugh. "You have a rest. Our 'medic' will take care of ya. I'll take on the last two."

"Look after yourself," Kurama responded.

Yusuke left the two of them and jumped into the arena to fight Jin, the Wind Master. Kurama noticed Nanashi distanced herself a little from their entanglement as she watched the match intently. Her eyes were locked on Jin for the most part. This would be the first time she had seen another person, human or demon who could also harness the wind. She swallowed thickly as she stared in awe at Jin's flying abilities. Her mouth twitched occasionally while she watched.

At one point, Nanashi furrowed her brow and grumbled audibly "stop." Kurama frowned at her, but she shook her head in response. She shifted her legs closer together and resumed watching the match with less excitement than she originally had. She was pouting now. Whatever she and her wind serpent were talking about in her mind may have upset her. Could they be arguing about how she felt aroused right now.

Luckily, Yusuke managed to win his match against Jin. Nanashi breathed a sigh of relief in response, but watched intently on the spot where Jin had landed and passed out, moving her head and upper body to see if the Wind Master was still alive.

When Yusuke was about to start the final match Ryshou, their opponent team's last fighter, the announcer's voice came back and ruled that Yusuke's match against Jin was invalid, so Yusuke could not fight in the final match. Kurama knew he could not fight, even if he had not lost a match. Hiei and the Masked Fighter were still imprisoned by the Enchantress Ruka. Kuwabara was the only one on their team still eligible to fight, but by the looks of him, if he went into the arena, he would not come out alive.

Yusuke shouted over the announcers: "Wait! We have our alternate right there." He pointed down at Nanashi, whose face resembled more a frightened mouse than a fighter. "As team captain, I've decided that Nanashi will replace Kuwabara for the rest of the tournament. She's still qualified to fight!"

Nanashi face went white as she whimpered "what?" She was their very last chance, if the tournament committee would allow her to replace the still living Kuwabara. It was a big gamble to take, even after all her progress in her training. Besides her brawl with M5 in the forest earlier today, she had yet proven herself a capable fighter to Kurama.

She had proven she was braver though as Kurama felt her summon the wind serpent out of his blood. She did it too fast though, causing tremors of taunt pain shake through him as the wind serpent pulled at the vines of the death plant. Kurama vocalized his pain through a painful groan and gripped her hands tightly so she would pull the wind serpent out slower.

"A medic cannot be an alternate," the voice on the intercom decreed. "She is not qualified." In response to the decree, Nanashi froze up and the wind serpent stopped pulling on the vines in his veins. The lack of pain was blissful.

Yusuke was red faced and livid. "Are you kidding me! She's on the lists as our alternate. Let her fight!"

Over the ensuing shouts from the crowd, Nanashi whimpered while she blinked rapidly. "They'll kill us all..." She was blaming herself for the tournament committee's ruling. But even if she had not jumped into the arena to help him and declared herself a medic, she still could not replace Kuwabara for the match, considering the fact that Kuwabara was still alive, even if he was unable to fight.

"It's not your fault," Kurama whispered softly to her, trying to keep her from crying in front of the entire arena. If they were going to die now, best she did it without embarrassing herself and their team.

A blaze of dark energy flared up, over to their left. Nanashi jumped in reaction to it. Kurama looked over and noticed Hiei was on the verge of escaping Ruka's force field. Nanashi was scowling over at the scene, her lips moving slightly.

Yusuke's shouted "Hiei, Nanashi, let's go! To hell with this place!"

Nanashi snapped her head up and over to Yusuke. In a rush, she yanked the wind serpent out of Kurama's veins, causing a blinding, muting agony to rip through his body. As she stood straight up on shaking legs, he fell forward onto his forearm, bracing himself and then groaning as the death plant found its second wind. It vengefully attacked his heart.

As Nanashi drew the wind serpent in ax form, the announcer spoke: "by lack of participants, the victory goes to-"

"One moment!" hollered Kuwabara. "Listen to what you say, you've all completely forgotten about me! I'm not dead, so you can't replace me!" With a clear struggle, Kuwabara insistently convinced Yusuke to let him fight the final match, which the detective reluctantly agreed to. This match was going to be a painful one to witness.

Nanashi shifted her weight, unsure now what she should do now that Kuwabara had taken what could have her place in the fight. She brought her hand to her mouth and bit her thumb nail. Kurama wished she would just come back to him and finish helping him with the death plant.

As Kurama opened his mouth to call her back to him, Hiei's voice cut in: "When he dies," Hiei said, referring to Kuwabara, "don't bother replacing him with your cousin detective." Nanashi's back stiffened as she realized he was talking about her. "She isn't ready either. We're better off without her."

Nanashi's eyes darkened as her wind serpent went back to its resting form and frenziedly hissed and gnashed its teeth in Hiei's direction. Had no one been watching him, Kurama was sure Hiei would himself have backed from such a menacing fit aimed at him from her wind serpent. Kurama could not recall the wind serpent ever acting this way, but had read that if an elemental serpent felt its master/mistress was threatened, they would act on their own to protect him/her. This element serpent had proven it would do that as well when it tried to attack Botan and had attacked Koenma. The wind serpent did not like Hiei, so when he insulted Nanashi, it was provoked into wanting to attack him. If Hiei was not careful around her, he might end up bit.

"Stop," Nanashi commanded, trying to pull the wind serpent back to her neck. It kept wiggling free, sliding down her arm, hooking its tail around her wrist, and trying to get closer to Hiei to attack him. In frustration, Nanashi grabbed the wind serpent by the back of the neck and brought its livid face in line with her own. The wind serpent submitted to her control, and ceased all movement. They must have had a conversation because Nanashi jaw dropped and her face flushed.

With an irritable sigh, Nanashi turned and advanced on Kurama. She still held the calmer wind serpent by the back of its neck. She sat down next to Kurama and brought the wind serpent back over to him. Kurama felt no need to be frightened of the creature as he had never threatened it or Nanashi and it never tried to harm him before. For reassurance, Kurama brought his hand up to the wind serpent and it bumped its forehead against his hand dismissively. In a split second, the wind serpent turned one look back at Hiei and snapped its jaw. Then it turned back to Kurama and re-entered his veins, assisting him again at the removal of the death plant.

The intimacy from before renewed itself palpably. Kurama felt the affects stronger this time as the creature wound its way around the death plant's roots in his heart. It must have still be furious about Hiei's insult because Kurama could feel it was more aggressive in its attack. A tinge followed by glorious relief every time a root was uprooted. His blood flowed freer than it had in the passed hour. Unfortunately, it had once again flowed down to the place where it could prove to be a problem later. Kurama unabashedly move closer to her and laid his head down on her shoulder. Her scent was stronger here, a breezy scent buried under a tone of fake flowers. She was warm and breathing heavy as well. His hands twitched with the urge to touch her, somewhere, anymore. They came to her hands, entwining his fingers with hers so to lessen the chance that he could touch her else where. From where his vantage point was on her shoulder, he discovered he could look down her shirt. He closed his eyes and tightened his grip on her hands, trying to remind himself why he should not touch her. Based on the way she so casually held him, he could have done anything to her in that moment and she would have not resisted. He moved his head down on her shoulder, resting his mouth against the cloth of her shirt, just to get as close as he could dare to kiss her without actually do so.

When Kurama felt on the verge of losing control, jeers erupted from the crowd. Kurama pulled his head away from Nanashi, nearly succumbing to the urge to kiss his way up her neck and face. He saw that impossibly Kuwabara had won his match and was now awkwardly flirting with Yukina while everyone in the stadium watched.

Yusuke came over to the pair of them. "Hey, buddy, you doing okay?" Yusuke said, offering his hand down to Kurama. Kurama let go of Nanashi's hand rather unwillingly and took Yusuke's offered one. With Yusuke and Nanashi's help, Kurama rose to his feet.

Nanashi kept her wind serpent in his blood stream, pulling harshly at the death plant still to uproot it. At the pace it was going, the death plant would be destroyed in the next two hours. He just had to keep himself from molesting her until then.

Nanashi pulled away from him, keeping only her hand locked in his. Ruka was frozen nearby, eyeing the group of them nervously, especially Hiei. Nanashi struck the noncombatant who had entrapped Hiei and the Mysterious Masked Fighter in the stomach, making Yusuke laugh at the sight. Kurama frowned down at her, wondering what the attack was all about. Nanashi did not look up at him as she wound her arm around his, leaned against him, and placed a supportive hand on his chest. From what he could see of her face, he noticed she was smirking.


	32. Chapter 32

The human wind mage was finally by herself, all alone, out in the woods training. Jin had waited impatiently for a chance to find her outside of the presence of her team mates. He felt they would be cautious about a strange demon approaching her, especially if they knew what he thought about her. Now that he had found her, he knew he needed to be cautious with how he approached her. If he came at her straight on, she would be spooked away like a horse. He had to approach her slowly, cautiously, until he would be able to confess his love to her. It had to be done at the right time. In the right way.

She was training, striking rather furiously against a small boulder, turning it into to rubble. Fluidly she transferred her weight on the ball of her feet and attacked a moss covered tree. Jin cocked his head sideways at the odd way she was training. Alone and railing against nature with grace, but without tact. Jin itched to join her, to show her a thing or two. How to safely do it though, without frightening her?

"Owe..." he heard her breath just after she upper cut a tree. She rubbed her hand gently, conjuring up that wind creature he had sensed off of her earlier. It was wound around her hand. If he was careful, he would not provoke the creature into a fit.

Slowly, he stepped out of the concealment of the tree line and towards the human. "Hm, that was interesting to watch," he called out to her.

She turned her body to face him, hair whipping in the air like an afterthought. The wind creature around her hand, watched his approach as well, tasting the air with its tongue. As he got closer, Jin noticed the creature resembled a snake.

The human stayed rooted to her spot while he walked closer. She look skittish, but did not put up a guard. She was shorter than he had originally thought. He could observe her muscular physique underneath her clothing. Her mouth was slightly open, allowing him a glimpse of her white teeth behind her pale pink lips. This human was kissable.

Gingerly, he took her injured right hand in his, turning it outwardly to get a better look at the splinters that raked her flesh bloody. Her blood gave off a silvered, metallic scent. If he played this out right, he would one day taste it.

Her guard was still not up, which meant that he was not scaring her quite yet. Her wind creature, the snake, coiled down from her injured and twisted around his own forearm. It squeezed his arm, but in an affectionate, non-hostile way. Jin smiled down at her. "I think your pet likes me," he stated softly.

The human pulled her hand away, but the snake twisted between them kept her close. Was something he had just said made her feel uncomfortable?

"It's not a pet," she said indignantly. So he had offended her. "It's an element serpent. The last one," she stated.

Jin tried to play off his offense to her for insulting her element serpent pet. "Never heard of 'em." Changing the subject, he teased, "so what that tree do to you eh? It seems to have fought back." He took her right hand back in his, smiling inwardly at the softness of her palm and fingers. She looked up at him curiously, as if not sure what to make of him. He wiggled his ears at her jovially.

Her eyes went out of focus and then came back into focus as she spoke. "I'm okay," she said in her sweet voice. "I just need to get it cleaned up. There's some not so nice looking moss on that tree." She dropped her right hand out of his grip and then held her left hand out to him. "I'm Nanashi by the way."

Now that was a name that could be breathed out in a content sigh. Jin looked down at her left hand, unsure what she wanted him to do with it. He decided to try to play it off again and gave her a side ways high five. She looked startled when his hand came in contact with hers. "Jin. Mind if I take you home to clean this up?" he dared.

Jin silently prayed she would say yes. Being this close to her, he could tell she was stronger than the average demon. If only he could have watched her fight in the tournament so he could see how well she fought. She looked like she would have been a formidable opponent. She bit her lip in a way that made him want to stop all the pretense and just kiss her.

"I don't know..." she hesitated. Jin held his breath. "It is an awfully long walk..." she reasoned. She looked down at the element serpent that still had itself wrapped around the two of them. After a long pause, she jerked her head up and met his eyes. "Ok," she whispered in consent.

Jin smirked down at her, happy with her response. Her element serpent detached itself from his forearm. Jin stepped around her and swooped her up from under her knees and her shoulders. She gave a quick inhale. When he took off flying, she clung to him desperately, digging her fingernails into his skin. Once they reached her team's balcony, he landed softly on his feet. She still clung tightly to him, straining his neck. Her muscles shook adorably, making Jin give off a soft peel of laughter. She was a wind mage, but she was also scared of flying. How was that even possible? Had she ever flown by herself before?

Jin lowered her legs to the ground, but her hands remained locked around his neck. She was so close to him that he could smell her silvery scent underneath a floral scent. It was a smell he wanted to get used to. With another laugh, he gently tugged her hands free of his aching neck. She came to rest with her feet flat on the ground.

Jin took her uninjured hand in his and pulled her towards her team's sitting room. "Let's get that hand cleaned up." Mercifully, it was unoccupied. Had he taken her to his team's sitting room, he could have encountered Risho or worse, Ruka. Either one of those two would have spoiled this moment. He waited impatiently for an opportunity to arise when he could kiss her. Just once. At the very least.

Jin led Nanashi to the couch and gestured for her to sit down, which she complied with easily. She kept her eyes on him, watching him with her curious, mouth slighted parted, face. If he had known her any better, he would have bent down and kissed her forehead in that moment. She had a sweetness about her, a purity, a willing, yet cautious trust. Add in her strength, physique, and unique wind mage abilities, loving her was irresistible.

Jin made himself step away from her and went over to her team's kitchenette, locating the first aid kit on the wall opposite the sink. Why these were here when most teams had their own healers did not make much sense. Not too sure what he needed to do to clean up her hand, he pulled out the tweezers and bandages. At the sink, he filled a bowl with hot water and grabbed a white cloth. He held the bowl carefully in one hand and the other three items in the other. These items would suffice in tending her hand. Once her hand was tended to, he would see what else they could do together.

He came to the sitting room with her watching him curiously. He set the items down gently down on the coffee table in front of her and then sat himself down on her right side. When he risked pressing his leg against hers, her cheeks flushed slightly. She did not move herself away.

"Where did you get bandages and tweezers?" she stammered.

He took her right hand in his left hand, pulling it over to set near his lap. "Your first aid kit," he replied. He took the tweezers in his right hand and pulled at the splinters that had marred her hand. He hoped just gripping them with the tweezers and pulling them out was all he needed to do. She had such soft skin. It would be a pity if it were scarred.

"We have a first aid kit? Of all the things..." she whispered.

Jin could not help but laugh at that cute comment. "You're a medic and yet you didn't know you had a first aid kit?" He eyed her curiously, wondering how humans trained their medics differently from demons. Her face reddened more at his comment and she gave a hint of a smile. She was adorable. Like a tiger wanting to play in a river, but not wanting to get wet. Her snake slithered down her right arm and pushed up the splinters on her hand, making it easier for him to pull them out. "So how come you're not on the team?" You seem to know how to fight. Trees for the most part."

She gave an open mouth gasp and her blushed deepened, extending past her face and to her neck. "It's a long story..." she began. Taking a deep breath, she explained about how her parents had died in some sort of accident in route to work. She spoke so clearly and fluidly, but so quietly, that it was hard for Jin to keep up. The Human World had some rather odd traditions. Because of her parents death, she was moved to live with her cousin, that Yusuke bloke Jin had fought in the Dark Tournament, and his mother. How the red head, Kurama, had trained her and how the short fire demon, Hiei, would help. She looked contented when talking about Kurama, but uneasy when she talked about Hiei. Based on how she talked about Kurama, Jin could tell, much to his relief, that he was not her lover. Once she finished talking about becoming a spirit detective, Jin kept asking her more questions in hope to figure out if she was single. While he did discover she had one former human lover, she was single now. Jin had all but finished wrapping her hand when she finished speaking. Her wind serpent, after helping remove all the splinters, went back to its resting place underneath her neck and shoulders. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much..." she apologized. She began pulling her hand away from his.

Jin spoke up in effort to prevent her from pulling away from him. "It's okay. It was interesting," and confusing. "I've never met a human before." At least not a non-middle aged, rich, greedy human male. "Much less a pretty one with wind abilities," he risked flirting outright with her now. Humans liked to be complimented on their looks, surely. He reached a cautious hand up to her face and brushed her hair back behind her ear so it would be out of her face. Nanashi made no move to stop him, but dropped her head as her face reddened deeply. Her reaction was a clear enough green light for him to make his move. He brought his hand underneath her chin and raised it up to meet his. He watched her hesitantly, knowing if he kissed her now, he would never be able to turn back. He loved her. He could hardly understand her existence, her abilities, her experiences, but he knew he loved her. With that knowledge, he kissed her.

Her lips were soft and wind chapped. She tensed up at first in surprise, but melted into him and kissed back, much to his pleasure. His heart stopped, replaced with the feeling that she was the only thing in the world. When she kissed back, he felt a twirl of excitement spark through him. It was perfect. He pulled his lips off of hers slightly, trying to slow himself down, but once his lips left hers, he could not stand the separation. He brought his mouth back down to hers. He shook with the desire to straddle her, trying to bade it off as he of so carefully hinted with his tongue that he wanted a deeper kiss. She yielded willingly to him, letting him french kiss her. She hardly moved, but offered no resistance. Jin pulled his mouth away from her and shifted on the couch so that now her back was leaning on the arm of the couch. He straddle her carefully, trying not to spook her or out right alert her to his growing arousal. She moved then, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her. He gave her a quick peck and pulled away slowly. Her head moved towards his, as if to return her lips to his. She wanted more. Jin ducked passed her mouth, nuzzled his face against hers so to turn her head to the right and trailed barely there kisses up and down her face and neck. She shivered beneath him in this perfect moment. He sighed. She would be the perfect mate, even if she were a human.

The perfect moment was ruined in an instant. The sound of the sitting room door opening reached both of their ears at the same time. Both of them turned their heads in sync to see her team mate, Hiei, had opened come into the room. His face flashed from confused to furious in a heartbeat. His piercing gaze locked on Jin as he slammed the door shut.

"Get off her," Hiei growled viciously as he stalked over towards them. Hiei must have mistaken the reason he was here; must have thought he was attacking Nanashi.

Jin could not get off of her fast enough, hoping to find a way to calm down the furious fire demon before he did something dangerous. Jin bumped into the coffee table, hands held non-aggressively in the air at chest level. Before Jin could explain what was happening, Hiei grabbed him by the sash across his chest and yanked him towards the door. For such a small man, he sure was fast and had a firm grip. Hiei ripped the door opened, told Jin "get out," and shoved him through the open doorway.

Jin hit the opposite wall, head first, with hard, crackling thud, and then slid down to the ground slowly. His ears were ringing and each heartbeat set off a throb of pain through his skull. He could barely make out that Hiei was yelling now at Nanashi. He sat up and groaned, trying to muster the strength to stand while his head felt empty. He needed to explain what happened least she get hurt too.

The next thing he realized, he awoke in his bed, Ruka sitting next to him casually flipping through a magazine in her hands. She had a lit cigarette in her mouth. Her noticed her force field was up around him. Of all the healers Risho could have hired, he could have least found one who healed faster.

"So what the hell were you doing?" Ruka asked without bothering to look up from her magazine at him. "Touya found you unconscious down the hall a few hours ago."


	33. Chapter 33

The fox was clever. After Hiei had refused to be on guard duty for the girl, the fox had arranged for Yukina to be moved into the girl's room; ensuring Hiei would keep an eye on the room now. Infuriating. No one had made even an hinted attack on the girl after the letter's delivery. The only one who had even showed her interest was the wind mage who thought himself in love with her because he thought she was strong. He clearly did not know a thing about the girl.

Hiei was returning from the team's rooms after training. After that enchantress had healed his arm while entrapping him in a force field during the last match, it only took one training session to burn his arm again trying to train his own dragon. There was more progress made though. The burn was not as bad as last time as least, but would still require some healing. Not complete healing though. If it was completely healed, he would lose all gained control on his own dragon. He would need to find a healer for it, but not Yukina as the oaf had been overusing her healing abilities. Maybe the enchantress can be scared into it a second time.

Hiei opened the door, walked through the threshold, and halted abruptly. He saw the wind mage on top of the girl on the couch. His face was part hidden down by her neck. What happened to the guard duty system with the girl? Why was she alone? Could he have been the one who threatened her after all? He had been an enemy in the tournament as well. Hiei could not tell if she was being attacked on not. If she was, the wind mage needed to be gone. If he was seducing her, the wind mage needed to be gone.

Hiei slammed the door and stared daggers at the now frozen wind mage. "Get off her," Hiei ordered, advancing on the wind mage. The wind mage did not need to be told twice. Out of panic, he jumped off the girl and backed into the coffee table. Too slow for Hiei who grabbed the wind mage by his sash, dragged him away from the girl, said "get out," and threw him through the door and to the wall across the hallway. The wind mage hit the wall head first and then he slid sluggishly down the wall. Hiei slammed the door and clicked the lock should the wind mage try to come back in the room. He shook at the thought of the wind mage either attacking the girl while someone else had left her alone. Or else, the wind mage acting on his 'in love' feelings towards her and seducing her. Either way, he had been an opponent in the tournament. The girl was his after the tournament. And no one else's before hand. She was one who wanted him after all. It was her idea.

Hiei rounded the girl, who was cowering in a mix of fear and embarrassment on the couch where the wind mage had been so recently on top of her. "What do you think your doing?!" he asked her, pointing towards the door. Her reaction was typical; frightened and silent. Too bad the wind mage had not seen her like this. Might change his ideas about being 'in love' with her. "That is the enemy! What are you doing with him?!" He waited impatiently for her to look him and speak; knowing it could take a while. "Well?"

The girl swallowed thickly and said under her breath "he's not the enemy." So he was not attacking her, otherwise she would not be defending him readily.

"Oh really?!" Hiei countered. The girl flinched. "He almost killed the detective! And not even 48 hours later, the two of you are-" he stopped himself, noticing she looked ready to cry. That was the last thing he wanted to deal with. Did she not remember her initial reaction to him and her desire to sleep with him? Why was she with another demon so readily?

The girl took a deep breathe and broke the heavy silence. "He's not the enemy. He lost anyway." She furrowed her brow at him.

Hiei looked the girl over, noticing her right hand was bandaged. How long was she left alone that not only she had been caught with the wind mage, but also injured? Had the wind mage done it? Both the detective and fox would be livid if they found out. Hiei snatched up her right hand, asking "what did he do to you?"

In a flash, the girl's elemental serpent was out and going after his hand. The girl caught the serpent with her left hand, halting the creature's attack an inch from his hand. Hiei let her hand with a shake and took a involuntarily turned shameful step back from the serpent. The girl took the serpent and put it back on her neck. The serpent stayed where she put it, but it still gave a menacing hiss at him. That creature was wasted on her.

"Slut," he called her, his own temper growing.

In a completely unexpected reaction, the girl jumped off the couch and slapped him. She faced him head on, livid and blinking rapidly. "I'm not a slut. How dare you call me that. Again." After a heavy pause, she still managed to have her voice. "You don't even know me." Her voice grew clearer as she continued. "What I've been through." The serpent interrupted her with a hiss, but she simply reached up and closed the creature's mouth. Her ability to control that creature with such ease was infuriating. How did she have it so easy? "What's your problem with me anyway?" she continued her raging. "You've hardly spoken to me for weeks and now you call me a slut." Her face went from irate to embarrassed in the blink of an eye. She brought her hands to her mouth with a sharp intake of breath. "Oh. The kiss. It wasn't, it was. I did..." Her rage burned out, talking her voice with it. "What's your problem?" she whined.

"You," he promptly replied. And her desire to sleep with him, to be her first. And her elemental serpent being just handed to her when she had fled from a mission. And her ability to wrap anyone around her finger and get them do whatever she wanted. And her inability to actually fight unless she is enraged or is someone else if threatened.

He looked over at her and sniffed the air. A hint of blood mixed with an off smell was the air; the most likely place it came from was her hand. He brought her hand to his nose and checked it. Lupine lichen bacteria. Harmless to demons, poisonous to humans. What she had on her hand would probably only give her a stomach ache, but still. The wind mage must have been so keen on molesting her that he had not even bothered cleaning her wound. How did she get injured anyway?

The girl pulled at her hand, trying to tug it away, but feebly. "He didn't clean it. It's infected." She look nervous. "If it's not cleaned, it will get worse. Possibly fester." She swallowed thickly. He let her hand go and pushed her back down on the couch. "Stay there," he instructed. If the wind mage could possibly seduce her after poorly tending to her wound, then so could he after doing it right.

Licking the wound clean would have been easier and faster. A better way to get all the bacteria out of it more thoroughly. Yet not at the risk of Hiei becoming aroused at the taste of her blood. Besides, the girl would likely cringe in disgust if he did it to her. Humans.

Instead, Hiei left the room, grab the first aid kit from the kitchenette, and returned to the girl; sitting on the coffee table opposite from her.

When he noticed her sniffing her own hand, she blushed with embarrassment. Her face reddened too easily. "I don't smell anything," she confessed.

Without another word, Hiei to her right hand in his left hand and ripped the poorly wrapped bandages off her bandaged right hand. Using his right hand twinged slightly, but not the crippling pain in so recently used to be. He was aware that she kept the element serpent up around her neck and it was watching him intently; antsy to strike should Hiei do her any intentional harm. He kept her hand cradled in his left hand, noticing the skin on her palm and her wrist were particularly soft. Taking an antiseptic wipe, he rubbed it roughly over each scratch along her skin as he wondered what caused the scratches and how she had gotten the lupine lichen bacteria in them. She would gasp and squirm slightly as he cleaned the cuts. If just cleaning a wound got that reaction from her, she should just wait until the end of the tournament.

When he finished cleaning her wound, he brought her hand up to his nose and sniffed it. The smell was corrupted; bitter and acidic. So much so that it burned deep within his nose, making his eyes want to water. The smell was worse than that of old blood or dead blood.

"I don't like the smell of this stuff, but it's clean now," he told her. She made no response. Figures.

He put his hand to the side of the water bowl, focusing heat to warm up the water until it steamed. Next, he took the washcloth, dipped half of it into the water, rang it out, and used it to wash over her wound. Left over blood from the wound got on the cloth. Once the wound was washed, he used the other side of the cloth to pat it dry. Then he took a new set of bandages and wrapped up her hand, focusing on doing a much better job than the wind mage had. When he finished, he hoped he had done enough to remind her of her original interest in him and forget her interest in the wind mage.

"There, I did that right," he said as he rose to his feet and moved to step away from her.

"Wait," the girl rushed, taking his left hand in hers. Good reaction. "Your right arm. What happened to it? The dragon...?" So she had bothered to notice his right arm had been injured again.

He gave his arm a subtle shake, but she maintained her grip on his hand. Her grip was firm but not too firm. "It's fine," he told her dismissively.

She pouted at him. "No it's not. Let me see it," she ordered right before giving his hand a slight squeeze. She was genuinely concerned about his arm.

He shook his left hand out hers with a sigh. He unwrapped part of the bandages on his right arm, but stopped when she gagged and turned away from him. Annoyed, he realized she had managed to get him to do what she wanted, just like she was able to do with the fox and the detective. It was not something that could be allowed to happen again.

Hiei walked away from her, pulled a chair from the kitchen table, and sat and looked out the window. It seemed like he was going to have stay with her now and guard her. At least he had attempted to remind her of her originally lust for him. Grabbing his hand and giving it was squeeze was a possibly good sign.

The girl ignored him as she cleaned up the first aid kit, bowl, and washcloth. She left the room afterwards briefly, but from sound of it, she had just gone to her room. She returned quickly, sprawling out on the couch with another book. How many books did she own? Or even needed to own?

Within a few minutes, she groaned and huffed. Hiei glanced back at her without turning his head, but paid her no more mind. She took her book and went into the kitchenette, making what sounded like unnecessary noise. With her out of the room, but nearby, Hiei took the opportunity to push his head band up enough to read her mind. The wind mage and his kissing was still in her mind; with Hiei no where to be found. If he wanted to keep her out of the wind mage's bed first, that needed to be corrected immediately.

After putting his head band back down, Hiei stepped over to the entry way of the kitchenette. The girl had just turned her back to him, facing the oven. There was water all over the floor and she managed to slip on it. Before she hit the ground, Hiei stepped over, avoiding the water on the ground, and caught her. She was lighter than he had thought at first. Too soft and skinny. Her muscles lacked definition.

Her body was tense and did not relax when she opened her eyes and looked up into his. How dumb could she have been to splash water and then slip on it? "Idiot," he stated. She turned her head away from him, so he grabbed her chin and pulled her face back in line with his. He paused in anticipation before bringing his mouth down to hers; reminding himself like an afterthought to go slowly even though the feeling coursing through him demanded more. Her body relaxed as she actually kissed him back. This girl seemed like she would be easy to please.

To keep her from thinking he was now under her spell like the fox, he pulled his mouth off of hers. Her face was rosy and her eyes lingered on his mouth. She was hooked again; easily. He then let her body go and she sank to the ground as he stood up, standing over her. "Point proven. Two men in one hour?"

Her temper flared and she kicked his shins clumsily. He had her hooked once more. Too easily to seduce this virgin. He laughed under his breath and turned his back on her. "Bully," he heard her squeak out.

He left her on the floor and went back to sitting by the window. Just to be safe, her checked her mind, avoiding the elemental serpent's mind. That creature could figure out when it was being read too easily. The girl on the other hand, never had a clue when it happened. The two of them we complaining and comparing himself to the wind mage; with him winning in the girl's mind and the losing in the creature's mind. Winning in her mind was all that matters. Needed to keep her focused on him until he had his chance with her. Then she could turn her attention else where.

At the sound of a jingling key in the lock, Hiei put his hand band back on before the fox, followed by the oaf, came through the door.

"Hey guys!" the girl said in a voice almost as irritating the grim reaper's. She poked her head out of the kitchenette. A sweet, but lightly fragrant scent wafted from behind her back. It was mouthwatering.

The oaf smelled it too. "Hey, what's smells so good?"

The girl gave a half mouthed smirk as she carried a cake, knives, and forks into the room on a tray. "Green tea cheesecake," she responded simply. She sat the tray down gently on the coffee table.

The oaf sat down readily and helped himself to the cake. The girl sat down right next to him, noticeably avoiding the fox's eyes. The fox glanced over at Hiei, their eyes met briefly, long enough make to warrant a conversation about how the two of them ended up alone together. The fox sat himself down on the couch opposite of the humans. The three of them ended up playing cards at the oaf's behest and eating the cake. The cake smelled tempting, but not tempting enough to go over to them and take a slice.

The fox called him out on the temptation. "Hiei, would you like a slice?" Hiei ignored him.

The oaf called out next, full mouthed. "You deaf?" To the girl, he said "This is delicious Nanashi." Hiei ignored the oaf as well.

"Nanashi?" the fox addressed her. Silence followed. "What did you do to your hand?"

The girl sighed. "Nothing much. I scratched it up." In a stronger voice, she added "Jin cleaned it and wrapped it for me." Of all the insolent things to say. She had to have said it on purpose just to piss him off.

The oaf spoke up. "Jin Isn't he the ginger Yusuke beat?"

She answered clearly. "Yep. That's him. He left before you guys got here." She was egging him on on purpose, surely. She may have been a feeble human girl, but she was starting to prove she had a back bone after all.

Later that night in their bedroom, Hiei explained what had happened with the wind mage and girl earlier in the day; leaving out the kiss he gave her and his intentions to bed her. The fox was annoyed that the girl was left alone, but it had been the detective's turn to guard her, but he was missing with Genkai.

After the fox had fallen asleep, Hiei struggled to fall asleep himself with the renewed burned on his arm. He gave up on sleep, put on his pants, and left the room via their balcony; taking the second pause to track down where the enchantress's bedroom was. He found it two floors below all too swiftly.


	34. Chapter 34

Hiei found the enchantress's bedroom's balcony with ease; flitting to it. He peered through the glass door and saw that the enchantress had just returned to her rooms in a pair of stiletto heels and a revealing evening gown. She shut the door, sat her small clutch purse down on the dresser, and hastily pulled off her shoes; looking relieved as her bare feet came flat on the floor. She kicked the shoes away from the door, turned her back on the balcony door, and dug into her purse. Hiei took the opportunity with her back turned to silently slide the balcony door open and closed and come up behind her. Speedily, he grabbed her hair and yanked her down low enough to be able to cover her mouth with his left hand and wrapped his right arm around her waist. The unlit cigarette she had had in her mouth fluttered down to the ground like an afterthought.

She whimpered into his hand. "Keep quiet," he ordered her. "I have no intention to hurt you should you cooperate," he warned. Her heavy breathing slowed down slightly. He felt her swallow thickly and nod. He brought his right forearm up to her eye level, instructing "When I let you go, you are not going to scream. Instead, you're going to heal this again, but not all the way. 85-90 percent should suffice." He wrapped his right arm back around her waist, tighter for emphasis. "Understand?" She nodded the best she could. He let her go, and then stepped back and began unwrapping the bandages on his right arm.

The enchantress straightened up and turned to face him, flustered. She stared down at him, lips snarling. "Oh, it's just you. And here I thought I should be worried." Her words were biting, but her voice betrayed her apprehension. She glanced down at his right arm. "Why should I help you anyway?"

He stepped towards, making her back up against the dresser. He brought his arms around her and gripped the dresser. "Because it could end badly otherwise," he threatened vaguely. He noticed that being this close to her, he could smell a few things on her; expensive perfume, expensive cigarettes, and money.

She daringly reached her left hand down and gripped his right arm firmly. He gasped at the dry, searing pain her grip caused to his burns. He stood his ground, refusing to step away from her. "If I were to heal this, what would I get in return?" she asked in sultry voice.

"You'd get to live," he threatened.

She tightened her grip and twisted her hand, making him grimace. If he pulled his arm away now, she would think she won. "That" she stated "is a given."

"How much money do want?" he tempted her. If it was more than he had, he would only need to rob a few rooms to cover the costs.

She hummed under her breath. "Money would be nice. Except, I'm not in the mood for money right now," she hinted. He looked up at her curiously. Her grip slackened on his arm, but not enough to where he could pull it away without pain. "Healing this would probably take a half hour." She straitened her back, moving her torso closer to him. Her right hand dared to reach down and hook onto the hem of his pants. "My appointment tonight was canceled. Head blown clean off in the committee room. Luckily he paid up front."

Her suggestion was tempting, manageable even. He stopped her right hand in its tracks. "Start the healing process first," he ordered.

She hummed at him. "Show me what I'm working with first," she countered, shifting her fingers up and down his burn. He hid his grimace from her. He was only semi-hard, but even then, she should be impressed. He undid his pants with his left hand and pulled himself out for her to see. She looked down, examining him carefully, she brought her left hand down around it, making him jump. "Hm... grow-er or show-er?" She moved his cock around in her hand, examining it from different angles. It would have been nice if she just started rubbing it.

"Grow-er," he responded proudly.

She clicked her tongue on her teeth. She looked at his face, trying to gauge how true his statement was. "All you want is this burn healed?" He nodded. "Alright, this is manageable, in the right positions. There are rules though. If you don't follow them, then I'm not healing you." She let his arm and cock go. "No kissing. You do all the work; meaning I don't have make that," she glanced down, "harder. I chose the position. I come at least twice. And you wear a condom."

He did not like the sound of any of it, especially the idea of her not touching his cock. Yet, for a half hour and a healed arm, it was all manageable. He held his right arm out to her, saying "deal."

She brought her hand up to it and hovered it from his hand to his elbow, encasing all the burns in its own light blue force field. "You won't be able to use this arm during. Hope you won't need it."

Annoyed and eager to get her to shut up, he grabbed her by her hair and pulled her down to be eye level with him. Remembering not to kiss her, his mouth came to her neck, kissing her there instead. "And no marks," she sighed out. He did not respond, hoping she would stop talking finally if he did too. He kissed up along her jaw, placing his teeth to her flesh without biting down. He shifted his kisses down her neck to her collar bone and the top of her chest. Before he could go further, he knew her dress needed to be gone. He reached behind her back, fumbling for the zipper on her dress. "Don't. You'll break it," she grumbled, batting his hand away and unzipping it herself. She slipped out of the dress, revealing herself in silky, semi-see through lingerie. She had a subtly muscular body with curves, and breasts and hips to die for. When he stepped forward continue touching her, she stopped him with a hand on his chest. "Don't step on the dress," she ordered, pushing him back. She picked up the dress carefully, stepped away from him, and draped it gently over a chair in the corner of her room. She smoothed out a few wrinkles.

She turned backed to him, flipped her hair, and beckoned him. She sat herself down on the bed, legs spread wide, and hands softly rubbing her inner thighs. The image made him jump then rush towards her on the bed. He straddled her, nearly bringing his mouth onto hers before he remembered not to do that. As he kissed along her neck and chest, he wondered why she had such a stupid rule.

Next, he pulled her up against him, reached around to her back, and fumbled to unhook her bra. "Hurry up," she demanded insolently. In response, he ripped her bra off instead, making her gasp.

He threw her bra out of the way and took one of her breasts in hand. It huge and full. He teased his thumb across its center, making her shiver delightfully. He brought his mouth to her other nipple teased it. "No marks," she moaned out. He was starting to get sick of her voice. He glanced over at his right arm. It still needed more time to heal.

He straightened his back, and brought himself to straddle her around her rib cage, thinking of something quite enjoyable to do with her big breasts. He pulled himself out and slipped his cock between her breasts, pushing them together the best he could with his left hand while he thrusted. She was softly moaning as he made himself harder. "Of course... you would want... to do that... too..." He ignored her and kept going. "Don't cum... on me," she added in another command.

When he felt hard enough, he stopped and trailed his mouth down to her core, pulling off her panties quickly. "Can I kiss you down here?" he sneered.

She nodded, saying "let me see your hand." She pulled his left hand up into her view. "Mouth on my clit. Two, no, three fingers inside of me."

He pulled his hand ruefully away. Pausing first, he glanced at his right arm. Still needed more time to heal. He brought three fingers inside of her first and his mouth to her clit second. Her legs jerked as she let out a loud moan. She continued to moan on and off throughout the process. Her hands came down to his hair, pushing his head lower and pulling on his hair. He felt her muscles tighten under his ministrations. She gave a satisfying scream when he made her orgasm.

She was cooing as he untangled her hands from his hair and sat up. His right arm needed more time. He laid down on top of her and rubbed his cock teasingly over her folds, making her whimper. He brought his mouth teasingly in line with hers. "One down," he breathed over her mouth, trying to tempt her into breaking her stupid no kissing rule.

"Get a condom on," she demanded in a strained voice. He opted instead to continue rubbing against her, looking down at her defiantly. She looked up at him, eyes smoldering with annoyance. The healing force field around his right arm disappeared. Before he could snap at her, she spoke. "I'll keep healing your arm once you're inside me... Keep teasing me and I won't heal you anymore." She was as menacing as she was demanding. "There are condoms in the draw of the nightstand." He untangled himself from her, went to the nightstand's drawer, and pulled out the first condom he saw. "Wait, do you know how to put that on?"

"Of course I do," he lied. These were a human invention that he had not needed to use before. The fox had not even suggested it when they had slept together.

Ruka stared at him ruefully. She moved over to where he was with an exacerbated sigh. Taking the condom packet from him, she muttered "at least you're not a virgin. You would have cum way sooner than this."

"And I know what I'm doing," he pointed out. She looked at him long enough to make him think she was unsure how true his statement was. He was liking her less and less as this session went on. She took the condom out of the wrapper and put it on for him. "Believe me, I do not want your child," she told him. "Or anyone else's for that matter." She slipped away from him and laid down on her back in the middle of the bed. She beckoned him over to her.

He glanced down at his right arm. It still needed to be healed more. He laid down on top of her and slipped inside, a moan escaping from her mouth in the process. He went in as deeply as he could and in a one syllable demand he said "arm."

She huffed and pulled his arm into her line of sight. She cast another healing force field over his arm. He brought his arm down and began to thrust into her in earnest. She felt so warm and wet, even with the condom numbing the sensation building up in him. She pushed at him to get him into a straight backed position. Next, she took his hand and placed it at the top of her mound, giving him a nonverbal instruction to tease her there. He complied, knowing it would help reached her second demanded orgasm, but made it so difficult to thrust inside her smoothly since he could not use his right hand. She tightened on him instantly and cried out. "Harder," she demanded.

"I can't," he snapped back.

She gave a half grunt, half sigh. She pushed his hand off her clit, and shifted her legs passed him. "Put my legs on your shoulders." After a glance at his right arm, he compiled.

She pulled him down on top of her fully while her legs locked around his neck. He thrusted in her as hard as could. Her hands found his hair and she tugged on it. Her moans were growing louder as she was growing tighter. He felt like he could not handle much more of her. He silently willed her to cum before he did. Or even when he did. When he did would be so much better.

He looked down at her. She was so close, they were face to face. Her eyes were closed and her face was flushed. Her breathing was chaotic, stopping and starting. He felt her tighten impossibly more, pulling him into his own orgasm unexpectedly. She screamed as she came while he shuddered and groaned softly. He collapsed on top of her, wary to keep his mouth of hers. He felt achingly, blissfully tired. This enchantress... demanding, but amazing... She looked at him, moving her lips, but no sound came out. She brushed her lips across his barely, which had been enough for him to ignore her earlier demand and kiss her fully on the mouth. She kissed back readily, opening her mouth to him, but he opted not to deepen the kiss. The kiss made everything come away from the world but her and him in alignment. If she did not talk, was not so demanding, or more reciprocating, she would probably make a wonderful lover. A feeling of fulfillment filled him.

She pulled her face back away from his and she managed to find her voice. "I said get off me," she ordered, pushing him away. He pulled out of her and laid down next to her on the bed, half hopeful she would demand another round. He reached down and pulled the condom of himself. She took her healing force field off of his arm. He observed his right forearm through sleep hazed eyes. It was healed just enough. The price had been more than worth it.

He felt the bed dip, and he glanced over to see her standing up by the dresser, and digging through her purse. She had the bed sheet wrapped clumsily around her. She looked irritated as she lit a cigarette. "What part of don't kiss me did you not understand?" she asked. She took a drag from her cigarette. "And don't just set that on the bed like that. I don't want a stain," she picked up the condom, tied it at the end, and threw it in the trash can by the bed. She took another drag.

"Then why did you kiss first?" he asked, sitting up in annoyance. If only she did not talk.

She turned backed to him. "I didn't do that! And why would I do that?" she countered irritably, taking another drag.

"Hn," he grunted, ignoring her stupid argument.

When he did not argue, she got agitated, rounding on him and grabbing his right arm. With all the healing it went through, it hardly hurt. "I told you not to do something, and you deliberating did so," she hissed. When he did not respond, she made a bold move; placing the lit end of her cigarette on his right arm.

He shoved her away and down to the floor. "You fucking bitch," he swore at her cowering form. His temper flared as he looked down at the round burn. He stood up and hurriedly put his boxes and pants back on. He reached over to her purse, pulled her packet of cigarettes out, and set them aflame in front of her.

"What the fuck do you think you doing?" she cursed at him.

"Just in case you think of burning me again," he curtly replied. He turned away and made for the balcony. He stopped, pausing next to the dress she had had so carefully lain on the chair. He set it on fire as well; make her cry out in horror. "If you cause me anymore problems, next time you'll be in the dress," he warned before leaving the room via the balcony.

Irritated with Ruka, he flitted back to what he thought was his and the fox's room, but ended up landing on the team's sitting room balcony instead. Close enough, he figured, going through the door. He stopped short when he saw the girl sitting on the couch, head slumped over the top of the couch; book half opened in hand. A faint scent of green tea hung in the air, likely coming from the tea cup sitting on the coffee table by where the girl was sitting.

She must have hardly been asleep, for her elemental serpent came across her shoulders and hissed at Hiei; making the girl jump awake. "Oh," she gasped, blinking up at him in confusion. She frowned and her lips moved rapidly for a few seconds. She should keep her communication with her elemental serpent more private. She marked her page and closed her book carefully. She rubbed her eyes.

"Why aren't you in your room?" he scolded her, allowing his irritation with Ruka to leak into this conversation.

She jumped at his rebuke. After a long pause, she responded with melancholy "I couldn't sleep. I'm worried about Yusuke... He went out with Genkai and hasn't come back yet."

"He'll be fine," Hiei told her dismissively.

She curled up on the couch, hand near her mouth. "Are you sure?" she asked softly, almost pleadingly.

"Go to bed," he ordered her, ignoring her question.

She looked up at him with a mix of fear and concern. "Are you ok...?" she hazard to ask. "What happened to with your arm? It looks a lot better..." He scowled at her, making her looked nervous. "Um..." she risked. "The kettle should still be warm if you want a cup of tea for yourself..." she suggested. "It might make you feel better." She stood up, pulling her book to her chest. He kept her eyes on her until she stumbled away out of the room. She stopped at the door, breathed the words "good night," and left the room.


	35. Chapter 35

Jin waited patiently for Nanashi to open her hotel room door. When she did, he softly said "hi," to her. Her eyes were bright and her face had a pink tinge to it. Maybe this time she would finally sleep with him. The tournament was almost over. He wanted to sleep with her just once, and then, if their chemistry in bed was good enough, then ask her to be his mate. It sounds like a risky idea if he just asked her to be his mate directly, only to find out they had no physical chemistry. A mate that was a disconnected lover would be so too difficult. He had to sleep with her today because there was no time left if she turned him down after this. Both of them would have to go back to their own separate worlds if they were not mates. His infatuation had only increased since they had had time alone together.

Silently, she pulled him into the room by the hand, shut the door, and tugged him wordlessly over to the bed. She laid herself down on her back on the bed. She was eager and ready to go. Maybe now she would want to sleep with him. Please let her do so.

He kissed her all over, rapidly, trying to turn her on quickly so to make her want to sleep with him. He had to remind himself not to bite her neck as she did not like that. It would make mate claiming hard, but that whole process was hard. Right now he just wanted simply to have sex with her. She was not a virgin, she had to know what to expect, how it would feel, what would happen. He might not have been the human she first slept with, but he was in love with her; that would have to count for something.

Maybe she did not know as much as he thought. Her hands with roaming over his sides and chest. He was not sure what she was trying to do, beyond touch him. If he had touched her the way she was touching him, he doubted she would be aroused. Luckily, her touching him was not dissuading his own arousal. He would be ready once he had her ready. One day, he could teach her how to touch him the way he liked it. For now, he focused on doing what she liked.

As for doing what she liked, he straightened his back and unhesitatingly pulled her shirt up and over her head and shoulders. Once her shirt was removed, he watched as she propped herself up on her elbows, heaving her chest up for him to get a better look at. Her lacy, purple bra cupped her smallish, but perfect breast... perfectly. He removed her bra, freeing her breasts. He gave her a smile and then licked his lips; making her blush. First he kissed the top one of her breast, then cupped it, and finally teased the center with his tongue. Her breathing became heavier as he strove to turn her on more. He smiled to himself, remembering how shy she had been the first time he saw her topless, covering herself up meekly. He had to carefully and cautiously let him admire and touch her. And now she exposed herself to him openly and willingly.

"Like that?" he asked after he thoroughly teased her first breast.

She made no response, but looked up at him longingly. She was turned on. It was working. He went to her other breast, cupped it, and teased the center with his tongue. If and when he ever mate claimed her, he would not bite her here. It would be too sensitive; would hurt her too much.

Once he had her panting continuously and aroused, he brought his mouth back to hers, kissing her deeply. Her lips were so sweet, so soft, so yielding. Every time one of them broke a kiss, it hurt him a little. He could hardly imagine how sleeping with her would feel. How he hoped today was finally that day.

He slid his hands around her waist, rolling the two of them over so she would be on top of him. Oh, how good would it feel if they slept together with her like that. He caressed her sides, planning to cautiously move them down to her hips, then her ass, and finally the front of her thighs. From there, he could...

He thoughts stopped abruptly as he felt her tense up and move away from his center. She had brushed against his cock and had been spooked. If he did not act fast, this session would be over and he would never get a chance to sleep with her.

He threw caution to the wind, blurting out "I want you." He held his breath as she tensed up even more. 'Please say yes,' he thought to her silently. 'Please. I love you.'

She face went from frightened to guilty as she breathed out a mousy "no."

She looked so sad, so guilty. Was she thinking about her old human lover? Did she miss him? Did she want him back? But he had seduced her on a bet... Did not mean she had no feelings for him though... Did she love him?

He took a risk, stroking the tops of her thighs, hoping it would remind her how aroused he made her. If they did not sleep together now, they would not get another chance. "Please. I'm not him." 'And I love you,' was on the tip on his tongue, but he bit it back; knowing that would easily scare her at best, and would only sound like an insincere ploy to sleep with her at the worst.

Her face told him it was over before her hands removed his from her thighs. He wanted to kick himself for letting his cock brush by her. She was practically eating out his hand, figuratively speaking. He felt like he was so close to having sex with her; only to ruin it because he had not kept himself off of her.

What was worse, she looked like she had been caught in the wrong. She took a sharp inhale of breath. She would not look at him as she got off of him and sat on the edge of the bed; back to him. Her hands were up by her mouth. She had told him no, and now she felt awful for it; but he did not want her to feel that way. She should not feel that way. It was his fault for scaring her and then reminding her of her former lover.

Mindful that she was already upset, he sat up behind her and moved towards her. He moved her face in line with his and barely kissed her on her lips, as a way to wordlessly say he was not mad at her. He picked up her shirt and bra and sat them in her lap; non-verbally telling her their alone time was over.

But he did not want it to be over. If he was not her mate, then he would have to go back to the Demon World after the tournament. He could not follow her to the Human World. He was neither good enough or bad enough to be moved there. He longed for another kiss; placing it on her shoulder. "We can't do this anymore," he said, confessing "I can't see you anyway once you go back to the Human World. I wanted you once," well, twice, "just once before that beautiful." He complimented her looks, knowing humans liked that. A demoness would rather be told she was strong, but he felt like she would not understand that compliment.

"Then we shouldn't," she told him, breaking his heart. She did not want him like he wanted her after all. "I don't know what I want," she said in a thick voice. Her response confirmed his thoughts. One day, when she had moved on from her former human lover, she might try and find him. And he would be waiting, he promised her silently. She mumbled something else, making his heart skip a beat. What did she say.

"What did you say?" he rushed out, hoping it was something he wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice cracking.

She was sorry for telling him no. She should not be. All he had to do was be cautious with her, and he ended up spooking her, reminding her of her former lover, and lastly, making her feel guilty for turning him down.

He gave up completely then, figuring his presence would only upset her more if he stayed. He got off the bed, moving so he would still be behind her back. He fixed his tangled sash on his chest. He walked slowly to the door, hoping it would give her another chance to change her mind and call him back. She said nothing. A tense silence hung in the air. He had lost his chance to be with her now, but he might still have a chance in the future. "Goodbye beautiful. If you ever change your mind, come and find me."

She made no response to him as he opened the door and left. He closed the door softly and leaned his back on it. Maybe if he stayed there long enough, she would come running after him. He heard no noise, no voice, no footsteps, nothing from behind the door. She would not be coming after him after all. So close, yet so far.

He pushed himself off of the door, and turned to the left, walking away from her door. That was when he saw her team mate, the short fire demon who caught them together the first time he had kissed her. Hiei was the demon's name, Jin recalled. He did not look the least bit happy to see him. Recalling the damage he had done the last time, Jin knew he would have to be even more cautious with him than he had been with Nanashi. Nanashi... Her name in his mind brought back the memory of Hiei had yelled at her when he caught them together. She had said it was nothing when he asked her about it. He kept the injury he suffered from her, lest she become even more frightened of her team mate. That Hiei was just being protective for her cousin's sake. But he had still shouted at her.

Jin stood his ground, facing Hiei head on. He would not yell at her this time. Hiei glanced at the door and visibly bristled. He looked Jin up and down. Jin shook his head, hoping to ease the tension in the hallway. It did not work.


	36. Chapter 36

Hiei turned down the hallway, heading towards the team's common room when he stopped abruptly, seeing the wind mage leaning on Yukina's hotel bedroom door. Even from the distance between them, he could smell a mix of arousal and Yukina's scent from the wind mage. What was the wind mage thinking? He thought he loved the girl, but when he could not have her, did he go after Yukina?

The wind mage jumped when he saw Hiei, and then got off the door, turned around, and faced him. Challenging him. Hiei bristled at the thought of this demon, any demon laying his hands on Yukina. He looked the wind mage up and down. When the wind mage shook his head, Hiei did not understand what it meant. All he understood was that the wind mage had just come out of Yukina's room looking lustful.

Hiei charged him, shoving him down the hallway, breaking the door down behind him that lead to the emergency staircase, and he went down the stairs. The wind mage landed on his stomach on the landing. Hiei came down the stairs swiftly after him. The wind mage moved to raise to his feet, but froze when Hiei put the sharp tip of his sword on the back of the wind mage's neck.

"What we're you doing in Yu-," Hiei cleared his throat. "Her room?" The wind mage took a deep breath, and shook his head. "I can smell your arousal and I can smell her on you, so you better answer me," Hiei told him as he pushed the sword down harder on his neck. The wind mage sunk his head down, to get it away from the sword. The sword followed him. This stairwell was narrow, but Hiei knew the bigger demon needed more room to fight and fly that the stairwell availed. Hiei on the hand, was smaller and quicker, so he could easily out maneuver the wind mage if needed to. He had the advantage. "Well?" Hiei asked.

"I wasn't forcing her, I swear," the wind mage sputtered out. He gave an insolent glance up at Hiei.

Hiei had pushed up the head band over his forhead. The wind mage gasped and then brought his head to the floor and gripped it tightly with his hands as Hiei searched through his mind to see what he had done to Yukina, a painfully as possible of course. Hiei was taken aback to see the wind mage had just been with the girl, not Yukina, in the hotel room that the two girls shared. Who failed the guard the girl this time? Hiei played the session backwards rapidly, watching the girl turn the wind mage down, watching the wind mage practically beg her to sleep with him, watched the girl freeze just after his cock bumped her. He slowed the memory down when the girl was topless, exposed, and blushing. She certainly was tempting, a little bit soft though. No wonder the wind mage wanted to fuck her. As for the infatuation, if the wind mage really knew her, he would reconsider it.

Hiei let the wind mage's mind go, knowing he would be left with a pounding headache. He must have missed smelling the girl on the wind mage because he was more worried about the wind mage smelling like Yukina. Where had Yukina gone then? He focused his mind, trying to find her without harming her mind at all like he had with the wind mage's. Yukina was safe, with the grim reaper.

He turned his mind to the girl, being sure to be gentle when entering her mind as he had no desire to hurt her like her hurt the wind mage. So gentle that she never even noticed. The girl was sitting on her bed where the wind mage had left her, but fully dressed now. She was feeling overly guilty for leading the wind mage on like she did. He sifted through her mind, noticing her element serpent was trying to comfort her, but she was ignoring it. He found the answer to why she had turned the wind mage down. He gave a soft grunt under his breath. Turns out Hiei had succeeded after all. She desired him, and not the wind mage. She wanted him in her bed still; so much so the girl had actual thought about him when she was with the wind mage. Bandaging her hand and kissing her worked so remarkably well. When this tournament was over and things died down, the girl was going to get exactly what she wished for.

The wind mage had to be kept out the way until then. Hiei went back into the wind mage's mind, as painfully as possibly, trying to figure out how to keep he away from the girl more successfully then he had the last time. The wind mage groaned on the ground; gripping and shaking his head. 'Don't yell her,' he pleaded silently. 'Not again.' He brought his hands up under his shoulders. 'I love her...' He was over the top, glad that Hiei was harming him because it meant he left the girl alone.

Hiei spoke menacingly "If you ever touch her again, I will kill her." It would drive the point home and would guarantee he would stay away from her. He did not mean it of course, but the wind mage did not know that.

"I won't let you," the wind mage countered, falling hook, line, and sinker. The sword blade moved down inline with the side of his neck. It threatened to slice into his flesh. "I won't."

"If you really do think you love her and want to protect her at your own expense, then if leave her alone, I will leave her alive." He flicked the sword across the top of the wind mage's shoulder for good measure. The wind mage gasped moved his arm away from the sword. Hiei stomped on his injured shoulder, making it give a satisfying crack. He felt a slight bit of guilt at enjoying the wind mage's pain so much. "I will do worse to her if you ever come near here again."


	37. Chapter 37

Hiei laid low after they had won the Dark Tournament. Instead of the team ending up wrapped up into another mission, they had down time after the tournament. In that time, the prince had refused to allow him to go back to the Demon World. He was still in exile in the Human World for the time being, much to his annoyance. At least the girl was still interested in inviting him into her bed; to be her first. He had seen just enough glimpses from her mind to tell him she desired him, without invading too much of her mental privacy.

After bedding the enchantress, the fox had picked up her scent on him. After a conversation that bemused the fox, the fox knew what happened, even if he did not approve of Hiei's burning of her possessions. Hiei used that knowledge to figure out that if when he bedded the girl, he would need to make sure to mask her scent on him, and his scent on her. He also needed something else; a better pregnancy preventative than condoms; which, after a second conversation and a few smooth lies to the fox, the fox supplied him with a tea that would prevent it 98 percent of the time and a plant based perfume spray that would allow no one to smell him on the 'enchantress'. Thinking it was for the enchantress, but really it would be given to the girl should she prove to be a viable way to pass the time in the boring Human World.

Hiei watched the girl, reading her mind more an assertion that she still wanted him. She was walking home from school, thinking about the first kiss she had given him and what else she wanted from him. And the detective was on the other side of town with his annoying girlfriend. His mother away, off with her Yakuza comrades. The opening was too perfect. The girl wanted him and would be all alone in her apartment.

He flitted across the roof tops and entered through her aunt's bedroom window before the girl got home. After a quick rummage through her nightstand, a condom was easy to find and nick. Next, he moved to the girl's room and leaned nonchalantly on the wall by her bookshelf. She had way too many books; many of them tattered. Now all he had to do was wait. Soon he would get to see her breasts herself, and not just in his memory of the wind mage's memory. Them and more.

He did not have to wait long. He heard her come through the front door and take off her shoes and drop her bag. As if in a rush, she came into her bedroom and laid down on her bed, on her back. He felt a twinge of annoyance that she had not sensed him or even seen him when she did that. She really needed to remember to keep her guard up at all times. Apparently he and the fox had failed to drive that into her.

The thought was driven from her mind when she rolled over on to her stomach, grumbled, and hugged her pillow. She gave a shout of surprise when she saw him and froze. If he had it his way, she would be doing a lot more screaming that when he was through with her. She perched up on her knees, hugging her pillow to chest nervously; eyes locked on his.

She finally spoke. "What, what are you doing here?" She needed to learn to speak faster.

"What do you think?" he said as softly as she did.

She frowned at him, but without any apprehension. He watched her slightly nip her lower lip. He stepped slowly over to her on the bed, remembering what he learned from the wind mage about touching the girl; go in carefully because if the girl was spooked, she would freeze and want to stop. He could not let her get to that point this afternoon. Not with him. He brought his face in line with hers, already spooking her as she fell back to sit on her ass. Hiei huffed, reminding to keep her entranced and not afraid.

"I wonder if you've thought about what I've thought about?" he asked her, mouth a hair's breadth away from hers. He reached his hand around and grabbed the back of her head. He pulled her in for a kiss. She stiffened at his touch, but gladly she relaxed into it and she kissed him back. When he probed his tongue to slipped inside her mouth, she yielded so easily. He pushed her down onto her back, without breaking the kiss. She tensed up, squirming a little, and turned her head away from his. At first he thought she might have been hesitating, until he realized she was red faced and panting. He had her interested.

He got up off the girl and off the bed. She looked up at him with her curious frown. "I'll be right back," he told her, running his hand up her partly exposed thigh. Her skin was so smooth under his own calloused fingers.

He exited her room and shut the door. Taking off his head band, he used his Jagan Eye to set up a ward around the door. Whenever he was in her bedroom and she had the door closed, no one would hear or sense him in the room. When he made her scream, no one would hear her, so she would not have to hold back.

He opened the door and saw such an entertaining scene. The girl was topless, one bra on the ground, and another bra clipped around her waist, but not slipped around her breasts. Were all human women so easy to bed? Or just this one.

He walked over to her, looking her up and down. The wind mage's mental images of her breasts did not do her justice. They were smaller than the enchantress's, but much prettier. She was standing still, breathing heavily. Maybe she was getting nervous, maybe she was getting excited. She was hard to read. He made an action that would make her throw her off.

He picked up the one bra on the ground and threw it across the room, not caring where it landed. "You won't be needing that," he informed her. He reached over to her chest and plucked the other bra off of her, and threw it across the room as well. "Or that," he told her. She looked at him nervously.

Taking a risk to startle her, but not frighten her, he pushed her against her dresser, trying to remind himself to be gentle. Standing so close to her like this, his mouth was comfortably aligned with the top of her chest. He would get there soon enough.

First, he reached up and grabbed her face. He pulled her face down while he rose up on the balls of his feet. She let him kiss her how he wanted. A sign he would get to take the lead. He liked that. So trusting. He brought his hand up to her waist, petting it slowly and softly. Her skin was so soft and smooth. She let out a shuttering breath as he moved his hand up. "May I?" he asked, hand barely touching her chest.

She looked down at him, red faced, and nodded. He cupped her breast in his hand and ran his thumb across the sensitive spot. The girl gave a small moan of pleasure, but once she caught it, she covered her mouth. That would not do. She needed to not do that. Ever.

He informed her "you don't need to be quiet. I made sure no one would hear us," he brought his index finger up to her center with his thumb and pinched her. She took a soft inhale of breath. "Or walk in on us."

He eyed her untouched breast desirously. He went after it slowly, starting to kiss her neck and slowly trailing kisses down to it. He reached the peak and took its hardened form into his mouth, sucking on it and teasing it with his tongue. He teased both breasts at leisure, given into the temptations to nip her and pinch her harder. Her reaction was heavy breathing, but no more moans and no screams yet. She was still holding her voice back. He would have to figure out how to draw it out of her.

But he had to go slowly with her now. The next steps would be unfamiliar to her, he needed to make sure she did not end it prematurely. Hiei gave her one last nip and one last pinch and pulled himself away from her chest. He placed his hands around her waist and then slid them down to her ass before she could stop him. Moving swiftly, he pulled her body against his, and picked her up. She gave a small gasp of surprise. He made certain she did not bump his cock in the process. That would not do. Assistingly, she wrapped her legs around his waist without being directed to do so. What a good girl.

She looked down at him nervously as he carried her over to her bed and dropped her onto it. She looked up at him nervously as he removed her legs from his waist. He was strongly tempted to stroke her between her legs, but it could frighten her. He might have been pushing her too far already, so he dialed it back, stepping away from her.

He removed his scarf and cloak together, dropping them on her floor. She watched her, mouth slightly parted. When he removed his tank top, he did so slowly, rolling it up from his hips, revealing himself slowly to her. She had seen and trained with him topless before, but this time was an intimate setting. She licked her lips at the sight of him. He had her. Now it was only a question of how much longer it would take to have her. He reminded himself to go slowly. These feelings and sensations were new to her. He would be the first person to make her feel them too.

He leaned his body down over hers, bringing his knee purposefully between her thighs so to be sure to keep his hardened cock off her. He felt the temptation to skip to the end with her, but resisted it. She needed to be prepared to desire him more than an end to the pain she was going to feel. He had heard virgins were tight, but that it hurt and they bled their first times. He hoped the blood would not be a problem when they reached that point.

He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her. When she squirmed slightly, his knee jerk reaction was to hold her shoulders down and slip his tongue back into her mouth. He shook with the desire to skip to the end, telling himself no. He pulled his mouth off of hers and kissed her face, then down to the side of her neck, and lastly along her shoulders. He considered going after her breasts a second time, but the girl pushed on his shoulders. Had he done something she did not like? Was she pushing him away?

Cautiously, he raised himself over her. It was an enjoyable surprise when she rolled him over so she was on top of him, slipping her tongue into his mouth now. He felt her hand quiver as she roamed it along his chest and torso. He felt chills go down his spin as she delicately touched his chest. He reached an eager hand up to her chest and teased her back. The girl shuttered at his action. She stopped her actions and pulled his hand away from hers. She looked at him nervously before she started kissing along his neck. Where her hands were soft, her lips were softer. Her kisses went down to his torso, untrained obviously, but enough to get a rouse out of him.

He felt the time had come for her skirt to be removed. His plan was to pull her in line with him, unzip her skirt, and pull it off of her with her over top of him. The plan changed in an instant when, once she face to face with him, she rushed out "I want you. Please." He liked what he heard.

Her grabbed her under her shoulders and brought her down on the head of the bed. He unzipped her skirt and pulled it off of her as quickly as he could. He went too fast for she looked down at herself and whined. He frightened her. He needed to take it slowly now lest she call a stop to this.

He risked a quick question "what's wrong?" When she did not answer him, he removed his hands from her body.

"Oh... it's... um, nothing," she stuttered out. Her face flushed crimson as she answered embarrassingly "I don't like, um, what I'm still wearing..." Her reaction was laughable; making he laugh aloud. It was not him who was the problem, it was the last piece of clothing she was wearing. An easy remedy.

He made a move to break her out of her uncomfortable state. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the stolen condom, saying "oh, I have." He dropped it down on her chest. She looked down at it in surprise, breathing heavily. She closed her eyes briefly. He reached down to her panties and pulled them down her center, thighs, calves, and feet until they were completely removed. He petted her inner thigh. "I don't think you're wearing anything anymore," he informed her. She must have been embarrassed as she brought her hands up to her reddened face. She was scared, but from what he could see from her center, she was nearly ready. The first of the firsts for her was about to begin.

Now he had to be even more careful. He knew he would have to be careful of when she bled. He would need it to be when he was inside of her, when he would be more focused on his own pleasure and less likely to try to bite her neck or elsewhere for fresh blood after smelling any on her. He brought his mouth in line with her exposed ear as he dared to put his hand on her center. He felt her stiffen slightly at his touch. In his excitement to get at her, he confessed "I never had a virgin before. How do you want it?"

"What?" she gasped at him, looking perplexed.

She did not understand. She knew less than he thought she might. He gave the shell of her ear a few nips. "Like this?" he asked as he slid his middle finger down and inside of her, searching for how high up the blood barrier might be. He needed to be sure he did not break it before he was ready. Inside, she was slick and tight around even his one finger. He dared to hope she would feel amazing. She gasped in reaction to his action. He could not find what he was looking for. In panic, he asked, dreading the answer, "You're not a virgin are you?" He stilled his finger inside of her, waiting impatiently for her to answer him. If the wind mage had gotten there first after all...

The girl shook her head. "Just an old boyfriend," she rushed out. "A a a human, from my old city." He felt the overwhelming feeling that he had wasted his time. That he should have left to the wind mage after all instead of chasing him away from her. She was still speaking. "It was only a few times. I, um, didn't, uh..." she groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I'm not a slut..."

He scowled at her as he slipped his finger out of her. He debated leaving or not. He was already hard and he had worked so hard to get her this far. He figured he might as well keep going. If she was bad, then it was a one time thing. If she was good enough, she could have the tea. "How do you want it?" he grumbled. Of course, now she lapsed into embarrassed silence. "Fingers or tongue? Which do you prefer?" he asked through his teeth.

She replied so quietly, he almost could not hear her. "I don't know. I've never, um, enjoyed..."

He straightened his back, happy to hear what he considered to be good news. She might not be untouched, but he still had a chance to be her first in one way. The idea was tantalizing. "I'll fix that," he smiled a wicked smile.

He moved down along her body, lining himself up with her center. She watched him, looking a mix of curious and skittish. Gently, he probed his tongue to the top, searching out and finding her clit. He knew he had found it when her body gave a jump. He kept up his teasing, bringing his hands up, spreading her folds away from the area he played with. Her body shivered and tensed slightly at his attentions. She began to pant. Overall, she was much too quiet.

He gave her one final lick before he pulled his hands and mouth off of her. Gripping her thighs, he pushed them apart wider, so to have better access. She let him move her legs as he pleased. Next, he brought his hands up her thighs and pushed her folds out of his way so he could slide his tongue inside of her. He thrusted and twisted his tongue inside of her, trying to spike her into her first orgasm, even though she was bound to be so sensitive. Her panting grew noisier, but it was still not a satisfying sound. He felt her muscles contract as she let out a short, breathy moan. Her body tensed up and twitched, trying to turn away from him as if the feeling was too much for her.

He pulled himself off of her, watching her panting, closed eyed form. Her first for something, it counted for something at least. He gave a a slight laugh under his breath. He trailed kisses up her prone form until he reached her neck. There, he rolled over and laid down next to her. There was barely enough room for the two of them to lay side by side on her twin bed. He began undoing his pants. "How was that?" he asked, pulling his pants and boxers off.

The girl rolled over to face him languidly. She gave him a sleepy, happy look as she struggled to turn herself over to face him. She brought her mouth to his and kissed him so sweetly. He pushed her head down and she cautiously moved herself down to his cock. If she was not a virgin, but had never had an orgasm before, she hopefully knew how to give head. He felt giddy with the idea of finally having a mouth around him after so long. Her reaction was adorable, she played with her hair, moving it out of the way as she avoided looking down at him. Bigger than that human she wasted her first time on, had to be. He closed his eyes as he felt her exhale a nervous breath around him. The breath sent shivers down his spine as he felt himself tense up in anticipation with what she was about to do.

Yet, what he had expected her to do and what she actually did were two very different things. He expected her to slip it into her mouth and suck gently. What she actually did was slide her teeth down his shaft painfully. He grabbed her underneath her chin and yanked her mouth off of him as fast as possible.

"Owe," she whimpered, trying to pull her mouth out of his grasp.

"Do you like having teeth?" he hissed at her, still feeling the sting of her teeth on his sensitive flesh.

She pushed his hand away with him reluctantly removing it from her head. She rubbed her jaw line. "Yeah..."

He warned her "if you ever use your teeth on me like that again, I'll remove them one by one," he threatened.

"I'm sorry."

Not a virgin and not experienced. A bad combination. "How are you not a virgin and don't know how to give head?"

"I... never learned. I wasn't taught, I... uh," she whined at the end of her sentence and brought her face to his thigh.

"Let me get this straight," he began. "I don't get your virginity, but I have to teach you how to please me?" he asked incredulously. She whined into his leg. "You wasted it on some stupid human. Use your hand. I'll teach you what I like another time." He would not spend the time tonight to teach her. If she earned another night with him, which was doubtful now, he would teach her how to do it right.

She raised her head up, but did not look up at him as she gingerly wrapped her hand around him and just squeezed him. That did not feel good either. He was unsure if she did it because she did not know what she was doing or if she did it because he had spoken harshly to her. Likely the former. He brought his hand to her. "Not like that. Like this," he hissed out. She was ready, but she needed to at least help to get him ready. She had better not be bad at sex as well.

He guided her hand until he was confident enough that she knew basically what he wanted her to do. She moved her hand rather slow, but it was getting him harder from her touch. Her hand was soft and gentle, in no way rough. It felt much better than her teeth.

Once he felt like she make him hard enough, he took his hand off of her. She looked up at him timidly. Using her hand, he tugged her up to the top of the bed and laid her down on her back. As he rolled over top of her, she gave a sharp inhale of breath. She knew what was coming next. He reached between them, ready to slid himself inside of her. He stopped himself when he realized he had forgotten something extremely important. He had no desire to have a child with her.

"Urgh," he groaned. "Where is the condom?"

The girl shifted her shoulder and pulled the condom out from underneath it. Her hand shook as he took it from her. He ripped the package open and fumbled to put it on properly. He could feel her eyes watching him. Once he had it on, numbing his feeling, he hitched her legs around his back. She offered not resistance at all as she let him maneuver her. He lined himself up, ready to enter her.

"May I?" he asked, knowing full well what her answer would be.

She took a long pause, blinking up at him. "... yes..."

Just what he knew and wanted her to say. He guided himself inside of her center and went as deep as he could. She was beyond tight, so warm, and felt exceptional. Way better than the enchantress, the fox, and anyone else he had slept with. He brought his body down on top of her, laying his head on her neck and shoulder. He could almost taste the blood flowing just below a thin layer of skin underneath. He had heard her cry out as he slid in and mew as he thrusted. Her body squirmed beneath him. He wrapped his arms around her, which allowed him to go deeper. She raked her nails across his back. So this was how to get noises and reactions out of her. He felt so good that he was almost ready to come.

She became loud and vocal, but said words he did not want to hear. "Please. Slow down..." she ended her words with a high pitched whimper.

He stopped mid thrust. "Damn it," he cursed. He got an enjoyable reaction out of her only to find out it was in reaction to her pain and discomfort, not her pleasure. He slid himself half way out, and moved as slow as he could manage. Her hands gripped his shoulders, tightening each time he went too deep for her. Other than that, she stayed still, head resting on her pillow. She would whimper occasionally, but stayed relatively quiet. She was lucky she felt so good that he was able to come while she lay beneath him limply. "Oh... fuck..." he choked out.

He slipped himself out of her, slipping the condom off and tying the end of it off. He dropped it on the floor, planning to throw it away later. Now he was light headed and wanted to rest. To lay down and just exist. His head went down between her breasts, nuzzling her as he got more comfortable. Her breathing was deep. Her heart beat was racing. The two sounds were comforting. Her arms came around him; one hand on his neck, one on his upper back. Both of them massaged halfheartedly at his muscles.

As he lay there, he debated whether or not she was worth another session. On one hand, she was no virgin, but severely lacked experience, especially with her mouth. On the other hand, she felt better inside than anyone else he had been with before. He thought back to her training with the fox and himself since she joined the team. She had been shamefully horrible at fighting and could be such a coward. It both cases though, when pushed to her limit, she would improve. Just before the Dark Tournament, she lost her spot on the team when she froze and was pummeled by the old woman. But, then, during the Dark Tournament, she defeated a member of the mad scientist's team when she, the fox, and he were attacked. Not to mention the times he had seen her being gentle and tender with others; when she held that sickly master when the fox healed him, and when she helped the fox with the death plant he had desperately sown into his blood stream to win a match. She had stayed with both men as long as they needed her. He remembered how exhausted she had been with the fox, falling asleep next to him once the death plant was removed. The oaf had picked up her sleeping form and carried her to her room; likely for another excuse to see Yukina in the room the two girls shared. She had been so tired, she did not even react when the oaf bumped her leg on the wall.

And with Yukina... Openly nice to her, willingly sharing her hotel room after the fox asked it of her.

She was probably strong for a human, and he was stuck in this mundane Human World city for the time being. She was gentle and caring to others. And she could learn and improve.

He raised his sleepy head up from her chest and kissed her. She let him move as he please, but kissed back. He nipped her bottom lip, making her jump, but not pull away. She would be willing to follow his lead.

He rolled over to one side, wanting to test her reaction to a different kind of pleasure. He reached his hand down to her center and put two fingers inside of her, making her gasp audibly. Her eyes shot open and she looked at him sleepily. Her legs twitched and fidgeted.

He laughed at her reaction. She was being what the fox would call 'adorable'. "If I don't do this to you, how will you know which way you like better?" he teased her. Her breath shook and her legs jerked as he easily made her orgasm a second time. He wondered if she was too easy to please. He whispered in her ear "if you want it, next time my hand first." He pulled his fingers out from her slowly, teasingly. After he spoke, he realized he had already decided she was going to get to sleep with him again. While she had been awful at somethings, she had been amazing in other ways. Once she was trained to do what he liked and to be louder, she would not make a bad lover. Hopefully.

He felt tempted to try to have her a second time right away, but the thought was stopped short when he looked down at her and saw she was sleeping. He smiled down at her, risking a quick kiss on her parted lips. He had worn her out. He ran his hand up from her thigh to her face, cupping the later briefly as he gave her another quick peck. This one would not deny him kisses, even in her sleep. This one would be less demanding. This one so far let him lead. He wondered if she would mind having her ass smacked, hair pulled, or neck bit; unlike the fox.

Yawning, sitting up, and stretching, as he rolled off of her and her bed. Her lips were slightly parted, black hair askew. He slipped her clothes back on her, without her waking up. She whined in her sleep, but did not wake up as he laid her back down, and tucked her under her blankets; leaving the tea and an explanatory note in the crook of her arm. When she woke up, she would know she passed; she would get to sleep with him again. He was looking forward to her training in a new kind of way.

Before leaving the girls room, he took the small vial of the scent removing spray from his pocket and gave a few sprits around the girl and her bed, and then on her clothes in her wardrobe and dresser. No one would smell him on her or her closed now, the fox had guaranteed it would not wash off.


	38. Chapter 38

After two days of impatiently waiting and fighting off temptation, Hiei returned to the girl's room on a Saturday afternoon. She had left her door closed, so even though the detective was in the apartment as well, he would never know what happened. Hiei slipped in through her window easily, startling her as she sat on her desk. She turned half way around in her chair and looked at him curiously as he closed the window with a thud.

He approached her stock still form, approaching her from her back, clapping his hands down onto her shoulders. She looked up at him, mouth slightly frowning. Her brought his left hand up under her jaw, pulling her face around, and placed his mouth on hers. He kissed her and she kissed back. His slid his right hand down her front, stopping at her chest and cupping her right breast. He gave her a squeeze, making her jump. He pulled his mouth off of hers, lingeringly. He next slid his left hand down her front, going passed her left breast and moving down her waist.

She stopped his left hand rather suddenly. "Um... Hiei..." the girl whispered tensely. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Mmmm," he hummed, bringing his face next to hers and nuzzling her along her neck and jaw, just under her ear. She shivered in reaction.

"You left your door closed," he whispered into her ear. "Do you recall what I told you in your sleep two nights ago? Before you shocked yourself awake?" She nodded, but shifted uncomfortably. "To do it when you want fucked," he teasingly reminded her. She bit her lip, gnawing on it. He brought his right hand under her chin, pushing her face up to meet his. He kissed her hard, and then used his own teeth to pull her lower lip from her teeth. His left hand stroked her stomach just above the hem of her pants.

"Um..." she said, pulling her mouth away from his. "Yes... B-" He stopped her speech with his mouth on hers a third time. His left hand sliding down the front of her pants, stopping abruptly when he felt something unnatural and soft. She pulled her mouth away from his and pushed his left hand away. She brought her hands up by her ear and looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry..." she apologized. Fumbling over her words, she continued. "I didn't mean- I didn't-just... I shut the door- Yusuke's movie... to loud and hmmm, I couldn't focus-" she gave an exacerbated huff. "I want to, but-"

"How long do you need?" Hiei said, cutting her off. Sex was out of the question now, and so was her just using her mouth as she had no clue what she was doing. He grimaced at the memory of her grating teeth.

"Uhm..." she hummed, pausing an annoyingly long time. "At least until Thursday, but-" she clicked her tongue, looking down at her book on her desk. "I have a math test on Friday, so I can't-like not can't... um get a bad night's rest..."

Six days. He would need to wait six long days.

"This isn't a problem I would have with a man," he grumbled. She turned towards him and gave him a confused frown. He pursed his lips, not wanting to explain his slip up.

She turned her chair to face him. Gently, she took his hands in hers and looked at him questioningly. "What?"

He squirmed under her gaze and then pulled his hands away from hers. "I've been with men, even Kurama, you got a problem with that?"

She looked at him curiously as he waited for her response. She swallowed and shook her head. He looked at her, surprised by her lack of judgement. "You..." she started. "You- you... um," she stuttered. She took a quick deep breath. Her face went dusty pink as she gave a soft smile. "So you could, uh, be with just about anyone... And you want me." Her right hand came to her mouth.

He looked at her, confused by her reaction. She read what he said as a complement. She was reading it as him finding her attractive and that was why he wanted her. She had not caught on that he was just doing it because she was easy, because it would ease the boredom of being stuck in the Human World, and because she wanted him first. The small twinge of guilt he felt at her reaction irked him. He shook it off.

He turned from her to leave, seeing as he would not be getting to sleep with her, but when his stomach gave an ill timed growl. "Ohhm," she piped up. "Are you hungry?" she asked sweetly. She looked at her closed bedroom door, biting her lip. She stood up, walking passed him, and gave his hand a soft squeeze. "Stay here. Please," she requested. She left the room, slipping through the door as quickly as possible; opening it just enough to step through.

He stood there awkwardly, looking at the door she had left through for a minute. She was going to feed him... why? The idea of food was tempting. At least he got something out the deal from visiting her after all. He turned to her desk, looking down at the book, papers, pencil, and a strange/ half circle plastic device. The book contained a series of symbols, numbers, letters, and words that did not make any sense. She read odd things.

He heard her fumble through the door with two plates stacked on top of each other, one piled with food. Between her upper arm and chest, she carried chopsticks. "Yusuke fell asleep on the couch again," she explained, rolling her eyes. "Guess his movie got boring. He didn't notice how much I took." She sat the plates down on her desk, and then sat the chop sticks down. she divided the food on the plate, sixty percent, forty percent. "He wants me to watch a fight or something on TV with him later, ugh. I used to hate both fighting and watching others do it, now I just hate watching it." She handed him the plate with more food on it, and then a set of chop sticks. "Um, here," she said. "Uh, you can eat on my bed, so long as you don't make a mess. Please." He took the plate from her wordlessly, and settled down on her too soft bed. She turned back to her desk. "Is it okay if I work on this? I'm rather not talkative at the moment- I mean, I just need to concentrate- I mean, but stay, you can stay," she rambled, half making sense. "I just need to focus and make sense of this."

He watched her curiously as she turned back to her things on her desk, taking a quick bite from her plate, and then rubbed her eyes. He looked down at the plate in his lap. The food was warm and smelled tempting. He looked curiously down at the little bit of meat, beef, covered in crumbs with a sparse collection of vegetables and plenty of rice. He remembered it as the dish he ate the same day she first kissed him and he left her out in the woods. He had thought the fox made it. He ate it readily, glad to notice it tasted just as good as it had the last time he had it. When he finished his plate, he wanted more, but she looked grumpy at she focused on her book, flipping pages, writing, what looked like measuring with the half circle instrument, and eating a few bites here and there of her food, he just sat his plate down on her floor and reclined deeper on her bed.

Bored, but comfortable enough in her presence, he untied his sword from his hip, and looked over the handle and hilt. Both could use a polish. He pulled out his polishing cloth from his pocket, and set to work. Part way through his work, he saw the girl nodding off over her desk.

"Wake up," he snapped at her. She would not be able to focus on her book if she was sleeping.

She jumped, and rubbed one of her eyes. A yawn slipped out of her mouth. "I need a glass of water," she thought aloud. "It'll wake me up maybe," she slurred. Daringly, she bent over his prone form and gave him an awkward peck on the side of his face. "Be right back."

She stumbled her way out of her room, taking both of their dishes with her, and making sure to close the door.

He listened to her walk sleepily into her kitchen and the clanking of their dishes being put in the sink.

He swore under his breath when he heard the detective speak. "Jeez, did you need to eat two plates worth?"

The girl gave a small gasp. "Ones from earlier," she lied. "You slept so long that I had lunch and dinner." Hiei heard her clinking the dishes in the sink. Then the sound of water.

"Oh, come on. I did not sleep that long," the detective retorted.

"Oh yeah? When did you fall asleep then? What time?"

He skipped over the questions. "Did you eat all the crackle beef?"

"Yeah I was hungry twice," she told him dismissively.

"Really? That was the last of it," the detective whined. The girl made no response. "Can't you make anymore?"

"Sorry, not until your mom gets paid," the girl replied curtly. "We're out of beef and nearly out of the vegetables."

"Well that's just great. That could be anywhere from tonight to never." The girl made no reply, but Hiei could the sounds of the dishes clanking against plastic and metal and the water stop. "Oh shoot, that fight started two minutes ago! Which channel did you hack so we could watch it?"

"107," she replied back.

"Well come on then, let's go watch it," the detective told her.

"Um, hold on, let me grab my book," the girl requested.

"You're supposed to watch a fight, not read with it on in the background dummy."

The girl shooed him into the living room and Hiei heard the TV click on and loud noises blaring in the living room.

"Where are you going?" the detective asked.

"I told you. I want my book," the girl told him.

The girl came into her room, slipping through her door as quickly as possible. She looked at Hiei, biting her lip. She moved over to her desk and grabbed up the book from her desk, putting the pencil and half circle tool into it as well. Hiei left her bed, and stopped her at the door. He turned her around and pushed her up against it. It was still closed, thankfully. She dropped her things on the ground. His hands came under her shirt, teasing his hands over her waist and ribs. She gave a soft sigh at his ministrations. He pulled his hands away from her waist by raking his nails down her sides; making her gasp.

She watched him curiously, frozen from his actions. When she bit her lip, he pulled her face down for a kiss where he pulled her lower lip out from her teeth. She brought her hands up to his face, deepening the kiss and then pulling away. "So Friday?" she asked sheepishly as she stepped away from him and picked up her things.

"What time?" he asked.

"9?" she asked.

"Hn," he grunted. She turned to open the door, giving him the opportunity to give her a quick smack on her backside. She gave a small jump, turning to face him with a pink tinted face. She nodded. "Don't be late," he warned her.


	39. Chapter 39

The girl was late. Over an hour late. She had picked the time and the day, but was late. Hiei was in her room, waiting impatiently. Her aunt was alone in the apartment. From the sounds of it, she was getting ready to go to work; whatever her job truly was. He felt the temptation to leave when he heard the girl stumble through the front door.

"Oye, what's your hurry?" the aunt called out to her from the bathroom.

By the sounds of it, the girl skidded to a halt by her bedroom door. Damn it. "I-" the girl stuttered out. "I- uh, didn't want to miss curfew?" she said.

"Did Yusuke lie to you again?" the aunt asked suspiciously. "I didn't set up any curfews. You two don't need those. You don't have school tomorrow; go out and hang out with your friends. That's what he is probably doing."

"Right," she said in vague response. "Well, I am home now. And I am kind of tired. I left Shizeru's because I'm tired-sleepy... um..."

"Here. More money for groceries. Enough for beef this time. You know what we like," the aunt's voice told the girl, like she had not even heard what the girl had just said. "You should give that red headed boy from your school a call. See if he's up to anything tonight. He might be home alone as well," she suggested. The girl made no sound, likely embarrassed by the aunt's suggestion that was almost on par with what the girl would be doing tonight. "Anyway, I need to get going. Duty calls." The sound of the front door opening and closing signaled the older woman was gone.

The next sounds were from the girl rushing into her bedroom and shutting the door in a hurry; leaning her back on it to close it. Her color was up, be it from rushing her from her friends or embarrassment from her aunt's suggestion. Her button up shirt and knee length skirt ruffled as she stood still. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out as she stared at him disbelievingly. In his impatience in waiting for her to arrive, he had removed his clothing and waited for her naked. He put his hand on his cock, giving her a suggestive look.

She watched him and then looked down at the floor, biting her lip nervously. He got up off of her bed and approached her. "You're late," he stated, nearly pressing himself up against her. She dropped the wadded up handful of cash she had been holding on the floor.

"I'm sor-I... mmm," she stuttered.

"You what?" he asked, bringing his hands to the door, with her waist in between them.

"I'm sorry..." she breathed, looking down at him. "I was with Shizeru and a few of her friends... I lost track of time... I got here as fast as I could..." she made her excuses slowly, genuinely. "Please stay..."

"I thought you were trying to make that non-existent curfew?" he teased, bringing his hand underneath the back of her shirt and teasing her lower back. She shook her head, relaxing slightly at his touch. "Oh, so you're not only late," he paused to bring his mouth in line with the exposed part of her neck. "You're a liar," his teeth grazed her thin flesh, making her jump and pull closer to him. She squirmed when his cock brushed against her, but he held her firm, saying "I've been waiting quite a while for you, if you can't tell." He brought his free hand to her her wrist, guiding her hand to his cock. She hesitantly took it in hand, giving it a gentle stroke. Her hand was so soft. "Unless of course, you want that red headed boy from your school?" She shook her head as best she could with his mouth and teeth to tease along her neck. "How do I know you're not lying?" he teased as he took her hand from his cock. Keeping one hand steady on her lower back, he brought his free hand to the bottom of her skirt. She gave a small gasp as he slid his hand up her thigh and cupped her mound. He could tell she was already wet.

Since she had made him wait for her, his plan was to make it quick, with him being the only one who enjoyed this night. He had waited so long it hurt. Maybe she was not worth a second time after all.

He stepped away from her, eyeing her carefully, she was panting already and her eyes were bright. "If you're not lying, then," he snapped his fingers and then pointed to the ground in front of him. "On your hands and knees. You feel ready and I am more than ready."

She came over and sunk to the ground where he pointed, resting on her hands and knees like he had asked her. So obedient. He came around behind her, pushing her skirt up over her hips and out of the way. With both hands, he rolled her panties down to half way between her thighs. She was breathing heavily, nervously. "Do you have a condom?" she asked.

"The tea will take care of that," he told her dismissively.

"Are you sure?" she questioned hesitantly.

He grunted in reply, hoping she would drop it. The fox would not have given him something that would not work. He teased his finger across her wet opening, making her shiver. She seemed wet enough for this. Moving his body, he aligned his cock with her entrance. Before he could ask, she turned her head and gave a small nod. He pushed himself in with a grunt, sliding inside. She was not as wet as he remembered last time, but she was just as tight and warm. She had cried out beautifully in response. As he continued to thrust in and out of her, she had lowered herself down on her elbows and rested her head on her forearms. She gave an audible exhale every time he thrusted inside of her, although it was muffled by her hands and the floor. His left hand rested steadying on her left hip. He brought his right hand to her thigh, and scratched it, making her jump, whimper, and tighten even more. He raked his nails deeper, holding himself off just enough not to draw blood. He smiled at the thought of something that would make her even tighter. He brought his right hand up and then brought in down in contact with the right side of her ass. Her body went tense and she gave a muffled cry in response. She became so tight it nearly drove him crazy. He smacked her a second and then a third time; feeling on the brink. He reached in front of himself and yanked a handful of her hair back, bringing her head up off the ground. She gave off an enjoyable scream, but his enjoyment of it was cut short when her elemental serpent became visible around her neck.

"What the hell do you think you doing?" he hissed at her, pulling away from her in a rush.

Her body collapsed onto her right side as she hissed out "I told you no! Go away!" The elemental serpent disappeared from view. She pushed herself half way up with her right hand. She winced and brought her left hand to the front of her hips. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"What's your problem?" Was she even worth this?

She looked up at him and then down at the ground. "I'm sorry," she breathed. "It hurt... He was only wanting to protect me..." She frowned and shook her head. "I thought I could handle it."

"Handle what?" he asked as he reached over and yanked her closer by her left hand. "Handle what?" She was beginning to not be worth this.

"Pain," she confessed.

Conscious of her elemental serpent, he made no move. "What pain?" he asked. "What pain?" he repeated his question.

"It hurt, but you seemed to be enjoying it, so I didn't want you to stop," she rushed out with a guilty tone.

"How did it hurt?" he asked, needing an answer to know if he would be able to keep going or if they were just done now. If she called it done, it would be the last time for sure. "How?" he asked. "Like last time?" He hoped it was just she was being stretched too much like last time. She looked down at the ground and shook her head. "How?" he bit back his tone, trying not sound too mean.

"Stabbing," she whispered.

"Each time I went in?" he asked. She nodded. He swore under his breath. He pushed her down onto her back with no resistance from her. He pushed her skirt out of the way, and trailed a searching finger across her opening. It was hardly wet now. No wonder she had been in pain. "You should have said something," he told her. He started to notice how sore he cock was feeling after waiting so long for an orgasm, and still not getting any chance. "You've had sex before, you should know to speak up." She shifted uncomfortably. He brought his mouth down to her core as gently as he could muster, played with her clit. She gave a sharp inhale of breath as he strove to make her wetter, but not come. Her body tensed up, squirming here and there. Her hands came up to her mouth, as she strove to keep herself quiet. Why was she so insistent on doing that?

He stopped teasing her abruptly and pulled her hands away from her mouth. He kissed her mouth hard. "I think you're ready this time," he told her as he pulled her panties off all the way. "So long as you keep your snake away." She nodded up at him. He rolled himself onto his back, pulling her along with him. He pushed her skirt up and out of the way. Guiding her as quickly as he could, he lined her hips up with his. She looked down at him nervously. Using both hands, he slid himself back inside of her with a deep sigh. Her skirt spilled around him. She was so much wetter than she had been, but just as tight. Now she would be able to control the pace, would be able to move in a way that did not hurt her as much, but she only had to make him come. She stayed still over top of him, one hand by her mouth, one hand on his stomach. She looked down at him confused, as if waiting for him to do something. "Move," he ordered her, smacking her ass. She jumped, pushing her hips forward. "If you can handle it, keep going." He smacked her again. She nodded down at him as she started to move. Soon enough she was panting audibly and slowing down. He would smack her to get her moving faster, but it was not working as well as it had in the beginning. He needed her to move faster if he was going to come. At this pace, she would take forever. "Do you like this shirt?" asked, reaching over and fiddling with the bottom button.

"Um," she breathed out, pausing in her movements.

She hesitated enough to prove she was not attached to it. He reached up to the top of the shirt, and yanked down, taking off each button as he tore both halves of her shirt away from each other. He reached up to her breasts, taking each one in hand over her bra and giving them a squeeze. She arched her back, panting out soft moans. He felt her tighten up and felt wetter. Her reactions brought him on the verge. He was so close, just needed her to get him there. "Move," he ordered her as he adjusted his grip and squeezed her a second time. She squirmed in response, but kept moving. Seekingly, he found the center of breast through the fabric of her bra and pinched hard, making her arch her back even further, throw her head back, and moan into her hand at her mouth. Her muscles held him in a vice grip as he helplessly felt and watched her come; something he had planned on not allowing her to do tonight because she had been late. Once her muscles relaxed, she stopped moving. She moved his hands off of her chest and let her body collapsed against his; causing his cock to slip out from her. She laid her head on his shoulder, breathing deep and cooing.

Outright annoyed with her, he pushed her on to her back and slid inside of her. She cried out as he entered her, but other than that she did not move. She only laid there sleepily and let him finish. When he came, it did not even feel as good as it should have. When he finished, he held himself up on his hands and knees over her, looking down at her incredulously. She lay beneath him, eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, and breathing at a slow pant. He got off of her and went to where his clothes lay. She had been late and then absolutely awful at sex this night; bringing her elemental serpent out, not speaking up, and then coming when he did not want her to tonight. She may have felt good the first time, but if this was what she was like the second time, he was done.

He started to shrug on his boxers and pants when he heard her speak softly. "Wow," she breathed. He looked at her, seeing that she had curled part way up and lay on her side. "That was amazing," she said through the sweetest smile.

"What?" he asked, not believing her words.

Her eyes were still closed, but she turned her head to where he was speaking. She opened her eyes and looked up at him like he was the most amazing person in the world. Tiredly, she closed her eyes.

"What did you say?" he asked her, pulling his pants and boxers up to his waist. She turned away from him and was now laying curled up on her side. He needed her to repeat what she said. He could not have heard her right. She stayed laying still in her disheveled clothing. He came over to her, knelt down, and rolled her to face him. Speaking as slowly and clearly as he could muster, "what did you say?" She looked up at him through hazy eyes. "Speak."

She closed her eyes and her face went redder. "Wow..." she said, pausing to take a deep breath. "That was... amazing..." She gave a sheepish smile and a contented sigh.

He looked down at her sleepy form. She liked that? She thought that was enjoyable? "How many times have you had sex?" he asked her point blank. She hummed and raised her open hand by her face. She gave a sultry smirk and curled her hand into a fist and brought by mouth. "Five?" he asked disbelievingly. She nodded just slightly. He looked down at her in a mix of surprise by her lack of skill, but not surprised at all. He laid his hand on her exposed stomach, stroking it as he thought. She was almost completely inexperienced. She had no idea what good sex really was if she thought that mess was amazing. Wasted on a green boy human. "What did you like?"

"Not the pain," she teased up at him as she brought her hand down to sweetly clasped his on her stomach. He stared down at her impatiently, waiting for her give a substantial response. "You're too grumpy," she grumbled cutely.

"Answer the question," he told her simply.

She gave two shaky breaths, struggling to stutter out her answer. "Top... whep-whem-when I... um... yeah..." She added under a mumbled breath, "grumpy but amazing." She gave an innocent sounding giggle and relaxed deeply on the ground.

She had no idea what was good. He pulled his hand from hers and roughly pushed her down onto her back. She gave a soft gasp and looked up at him with wide eyed curiosity. He straddled her, wondering if he could go another round with her so dozy. It was beyond tempting to immediately show her what good really was. He grabbed her by her wrists, placed them in line with her head, and held them there. She met his eyes nervously, swallowing thickly. "You don't know what's good," he purred down at her. "I'll show you what's good," he warned before bringing his mouth down roughly on hers. She jumped when his kiss landed, but she moved her mouth to match his.

He debated in his head what to do with her. She was drowsy, but she needed to be able to stay awake with whatever he would do. Pulling his mouth off of hers, he sat up slowly, pulled himself off of her, and tugged her to her feet.

Adjusting her top, he tucked the left and right side of her shirt together. "Go get a glass of water and come back," he ordered.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She rushed quickly out of the room and came back with a full glass of water. She handed it to him, splashing a little bit of water on the ground.

"What are you giving it to me for?" he asked in confusion.

"Um... you asked for a glass of water..."

"Drink it. To keep you awake." How did she not understand that. Perhaps too tired.

Her lips moved soundlessly for one syllable and then she brought the glass to her lips and sipped at the water. She looked self conscious as he watch her drink half of it. She stepped around him and put the half drunk glass on her nightstand.

Before she could make another move, he took her wrist, tugging her along with him as he sat down in the middle of her bed. She stayed still, unsure what to do. He brought her down on his lap and tugged off her ruined shirt. He hands grazed over her hips, and up her back. With nimble fingers, he unhooked her bra and removed it. He brought her closer to him, bringing his mouth to her right breast. When her hand came up to her mouth to keep herself quiet, he bit her, making her cry out.

"Don't do that," he hissed and then kissed the spot he had just bit absentmindedly.

He pushed her off of him, got up, and pushed her down on the bed on her stomach. She rested on her stomach with legs hanging off the bed. He came up behind her and unzipped and unbuttoned her skirt. He yanked it down and off her, throwing it to the side. Stepping away from her, he went over to where her panties lay on the ground. They would do. He took them in hand and came over to where she lay. She was glancing back at him over her shoulder curiously. He brushed her silky hair out of the way. He rested on his knees next to her and pulled her hands behind her back.

Holding her wrists together, he informed her "I want to tie you up." She would not be able to stifle her moans and screams in her hands that way.

She gave an unsure hum, looking up at him curiously. She must have read on his face his desire because she looked away and nodded. He wasted no time tying her hands behind her back. She offered no resistance, waiting patiently for him to finish.

He looked down at her with a smirk. She met his eyes, looking trusting. He grabbed her hair at the base of her neck, yanking it to keep her head up so she would not stifle herself in the bed sheets. His other hand came down across her backside with a loud smack. She pulled at her bond hands in reaction. He hit her a second time, noticing she had her mouth clenched shut. When he struck her a third time, she let a whimper out. On the fourth strike, she cried out. By the tenth and last strike, she was screaming each time.

Once done there, he slipped his hand down between her legs and around to her front, feeling the renewed wetness between her legs. He smiled at the thought that she actually seemed liked that. He teased at her mound as she squirmed and whimpered. Curiously, he brought his fingers up near her smaller hole.

Her reaction changed instantly. She tensed up and was silent. She breathed one word: "don't."

He moved his hand back to her front, teasing away and feeling cautious that he might set her off to call this off like she had been with the wind mage. He brought his mouth down to her ear and whispered "if you change your mind, I know what I'm doing."

He slid two fingers inside of her and moved his hand relentlessly. Because she put her face to bed to quiet her voice, he pulled her hair enough to get her head up enough that voice carried. She came so quickly. A fun little sensitive thing. He let her hair go and slid his hand up between her thighs carefully. He untied her hands and rolled her onto her side.

"Come here," he ordered, sitting himself down at the top of her bed comfortably. She propped herself up, crawling over to him. She cuddled against him, laying her head on his shoulder. "Not what I had in mind," he teased, pushing the top of her head down. She seemed to understand as she brought herself down towards his cock. She took it in hand and rubbed it slowly. "Not what I had in mind," he repeated. "Don't use your teeth."

She pulled her head and looked at him nervously. "I don't want to hurt you..." she confessed.

He took her hand in his, pulling her thumb up into his mouth. She watched him curiously as he sucked it without using his teeth. "Like that," he told her as he slipped her thumb out of his mouth. "Not like this," he stated before sliding her thumb back into his mouth and scrapping his top teeth along it. She flinched at his teeth. "Try," he requested.

She nodded briefly as she pushed her hair behind her head. Breathing heavily, she brought her mouth carefully around the tip of his cock. Her mouth was wet, but cooler than her core. She was only taking the tip in her mouth, but made an effort to please him. Her teeth brushed him slightly, but she froze, moving her mouth carefully to keep from continue that move. The move took more of him into her mouth, making her gag. She pulled her mouth off of him in response. Hesitantly, she brought her mouth back to the tip, moving her head up and down at a tortuously slow pace. She gagged again, pulling away. She could get away with that for now.

"Lick it," he sighed out in response to how she was making him feel. She obeyed, keeping her focused attention on the tip. It did not feel as good as he thought it should, but she was making him harder at a slow pace. He would need something else to get him hard enough to go a second round. He brought his hand under her chin and pulled her face up to his; kissing her deeply. She relaxed her body on his, letting him lead on the kiss. He brought his hand down to his cock, rubbing it to get himself ready.

When he broke the kiss, she looked up at him curiously, as if wondering what was going to happen next. She had no fear looking him in the eyes. "Lay flat on your stomach," he told her, pushing her to guide her. "Legs on the bed."

She nodded sweetly, snuggling on her bed as she did so. He pushed her thighs apart, with her moving in compliance. Angling her hips up first, he slid himself inside of her. She gave a small yelp as he did so. "If you can't take... it, speak..." he told her. She nodded as best she could from her position.

He trusted as gently as he could muster. Her left hand held back her whimpers as her right hand clung to her bed sheets. Frustrated with her hands, he reached his hands forward, pulling her hands at her eye level and pinning them to the bed. Her whimpering grew louder as her mouth was uncovered. He felt her body coil tightly beneath him as she came another time with a sweet sounding, wordless scream of pleasure.

He let loose a small laugh out of enjoyment at her reaction. That was so easy, too easy. Taking her hands away from her face and she would let her voice carrying like a bitch. He stopped thrusting, thinking mischievously about another position that might make her scream more.

He got off of her and pulled her drowsy form up and turned her around. Her eyes were open, but her head lolled. He stole a quick kiss from her. He pushed her down to her back and pinned her wrists over her head. He looked down at her, smiling mischievously. Her returned look was one of sleepy curiosity. Once he lined his hips up with hers, he rubbed himself against her mound without slipping in. She jumped at his surprising movement, shifting beneath him. She gave a breathy, high pitched moan each time he pitched forward. Her skin reddened and she began to squirm in reaction. His teasingly turned her on again, but this time offered her no relief; just like how he had to wait so long for relief this night because she made him wait so long.

She must have been getting desperate because she spoke out. "Please..." she ended her speaking with a whimper. Ignoring her plea, he rubbed against her harder, making her cry out in desperation as the arousal he was making her go through intensified. Poor little thing probably never felt the way she felt now, so she hardly knew how to react. Her struggle with her arousal and her desire at his movement was so virginal. She had no idea how to react to what he was doing as the feelings he was causing her to go through were so new. She was vocal now. "Please," she begged, likely unsure just what she was wanting. She nearly broke free from his light hold around her wrist. What she would have done if she had managed to break free was probably to lay still and wait for him to do something.

As if giving into her begging, he slid himself into her, hearing her moan in relief was music to his ears. He made three shallow thrusts, and then slid out and rubbed along her front some more. She kicked underneath him and gave a plaintive gasp. She was losing control of herself. How long would it take for her to lose complete control?

"Please..." she voiced. "Oh Hiei, please-"

He never figured out how much longer it would take her to lose control of herself, because at the sound of his name on her lips, he crashed his lips onto her yielding ones. His right hand let go of her wrist and he used it to guide himself back inside of her. He felt like the one on the verge of losing control now. As he thrusted, he tried his hardest to keep his pace slow enough for her to handle, reminding himself that she was inexperienced and sensitive. But on the tail end of that thought, he brought her lower legs over his shoulders and pinned her beyond breathless form down beneath him. Her body kicked and squirmed underneath him as unparalleled pleasure overtook her and pulled him along with her.

After he came, he shook his head to rid himself of the black spots in his vision. Panting, he let go and slid out of the equally panting human beneath him. He reached over to the half drunk glass of water on her nightstand, draining it thirstily. The girl rolled her upper body to the side, uncaring as a slick strands of hair cascaded over her face. He noticed she was no longer the soft little thing trailing Kurama months ago, but rather had defined, or hinted at defined, muscles. Her ass and legs were especially nice; thick and toned.

"Now that was good," he breathed at her. She tried and failed to untangle her legs from his. No response. In this situation, it was what he liked to hear.


	40. Chapter 40

After the Dark Tournament, things had settled for everyone for the time. Kurama noticed changes in Nanashi especially. At school, she had become a settled person, independent person. Other girls at school were openly mean to her about his and her friendship; his annoying fangirls jealous of their maintained, easy friendship. Something he had not bothered to offer another girl in school. None of them knew his true past or identity. Kurama had offered to speak with the girls to get them to leave her alone, but she shrugged it off, saying they did not bother her and as they tried bothered her, they would not bother anyone else.

When training after school and on the weekends, she was less frightened and more focused. She seemed to enjoy training now interestingly enough. Her spirit energy had plateaued though and would not grow no matter how much he pushed her. Her physical strength grew, to say the least.

In both school and training, she noticed she was having off days, seeming unfocused, mellow, and sleepy. She had been called out by two teachers for sleeping in class. There had been two days as well where she had missed school, claiming illness, but looking healthy. Her smell was off, but he could not place why. It was puzzling as it was more than just a change of perfume.

One issue still hung silently, unspoken between them. The residual demon part of him desired her ever since she had used her wind serpent to help pull the death plant from his blood stream. In was a conflicting feeling when his human side felt no interest in her, but his demon side wanted a taste of her. Just one. But to go after the girl for one night to burn off this residual sexual tension would be almost cruel. Even for a human, she was still very young and too inexperienced for a one off where he could let loose his demon nature.

Kurama noticed subtle changes in Hiei as well, figuring it was due his claimed new romance with the call girl from the Dark Tournament, Ruka. Apparently, she had a pass to come to the Human World for work, and she would let him visit when she was often in the city. He was still stuck in exile in the city for parole. However he made it work, he seemed to make it work. His contentedness made himself easier to be around. When Kurama asked him about it, he would give a smirk and say one of two positive words. Occasionally when Kurama was training Nanashi, he sensed Hiei watching, but he never stepped in to assist. Kurama knew Nanashi would improve more if he did.

On one Saturday morning training session, she showed up late, groggy, and not dressed for the warm weather. Her dark grey shirt had narrow sleeves. Her black hair was tied up oddly, in a loose pony tail shape. It looked odd on her because it was different.

In no time at all, she was sweating, panting, and pale. She looked on the verge of being sick. "Let's take a rest," he told her, pulling out of his own fighting stance. She looked relieved when he said it, slouching over to rest her hands on her knees. He came over to her, placing his hand on her hot, sweaty forehead. She was burning up. Gently he led her out of the sun and into the shade of a near by tree. She practically collapsed as she sat down in a hunch. She put her interlocked her fingers behind her head, and then her head between her knees. A bit of her hair had escaped her loose hair tie and spilled over her shoulders. "Where did you put your water?" he asked, rubbing the small of her back, trying to remember himself if he had seen her set it down somewhere.

She shook her head. "I forgot... it," she whistled out. She looked up at him, dark circles showing under her eyes. She was done training today.

He left her, rushing quickly back to where they had started training; where he had left his own water bottle. He returned to her with her leaning her head and upper back against the tree trunk, eyes closed. "Nanashi," he breathed her name. She opened her eyes to a squint. He tilted her chin up and handed her the water. "Here." She brought the bottle to her mouth and sipped at it. Taking a deep pant, she tried to drain the bottle all at once. "Not so fast. You'll get sick," he warned her, gently taking the bottle from her. "Little sips is all you need," he cautioned, helping her do so. He sat with her patiently, assisting her to drink slowly, primarily concerned with getting her re-hydrated. He wished Hiei had been nearby today so he could be roped into helping her. She looked better when she finished the bottle, but still sweating.

"Thanks," she panted, laying her head back on the tree. She pushed her hair off her neck. "I'll be ready to start up again in about five minutes."

The suggestion was laughable. She looked like she would need a cool shower in five minutes. He brought his hand to her forehead. Cooler than before, but still too warm. He explained "you overheated. Your body needs rest. And water," more water, he thought. "What have you eaten today?"

She closed her eyes and gave a sleepy hum. "A biscuit. And tea," she listed briefly. "I haven't been feeling well... It's nothing."

Not enough water and not enough food. No wonder she overheated and nearly crashed. "Any sugar in the tea?"

"No," she croaked.

Kurama rubbed his brow in annoyance. She knew better. He had thought her better during the beginning of her training. No food, no energy, no strength. Part of it could be it was one of those weeks where there was not much food around her apartment. "Wait right here, I'll be right back," he promised, hoping she would be okay on her own for a few minutes. He wished Hiei would have been nearby. Enough goading and he would have watched Nanashi while he fetched her some food. She would likely dislike being alone with Hiei, but he would not have harmed her beyond teasing her for being unwell.

After waiting an annoyingly long time in line at a nearby food truck, Kurama managed to get her a Western meal that would not be too difficult for her to consume. She ate the meal slowly and carefully. When she finally finished, he put his hand on her forehead for a third time. Still too warm. In his presence, he wanted to refrain from her undressing in anyway, but it looked like her shirt would need to come off so she could cool down. He would just have to hope his demon nature would not get his blood up from it. His mind slipped back to the his imagined mental image of slipping her on his lap and making her moan. He shook his head to rid himself of the thought.

"You're still too warm," he admitted. "If you have a tank top on under your shirt, take off the shirt." He tried not to think about what he would want to do at the sight of her. "If not, roll up your sleeves. You shouldn't have worn a shirt like that anyway with the weather like this."

She bit her lip. "I'm fine... not tank top," she mumbled. He wished he was more relieved to hear that.

"Roll up your sleeves then," he suggested. She looked away from him. "Nanashi?" She looked nervous, paling anew. She sighed, frowning. Gingerly, she rolled up her sleeves. Splotchy bruises covered her wrists. She scowled as he took her forearm and hand in his hands. He puzzled at the thought of who could have hurt her like this. They had no contact from Koenma about a new mission, so it was not an enemy. Her wind serpent would never have let the bullying girls at school touch her. Yusuke and her aunt would never have touched her like this. He was sure he had not done it himself during training. "Were you attacked?" She shook her head mousily; like a child caught in the wrong. "What happened?" he asked frankly.

She responded by closing her eyes; clearly not wanting to have this discussion. She down and away from him at the ground. That was when he saw what she had tied her hair up with; knowing who it came from, but nervous about what situation led to it coming into her possession. It could not be the same black ribbon that had been used on him to tie him up once. He looked closer at the ends, noticing the fraying ends and a line of silk running down the middle. Coincidence was improbable.

"Where did you get that ribbon?" he asked carefully.

"Uh...Yusuke gave it to me as a gift," she shifted uncomfortably, giving her lie away and revealing the unexpected truth.

He reached over to the ribbon, touching it briefly and bringing his finger tips to his nose. Hiei's scent was all over it, plain as day. The revelation that Hiei had lied about Ruka and taken Nanashi as a lover instead was surprising. He had thought her as a weak, childish, and whiny human. Why sleep with her? She had been scared of him. He could not see a good end to this, knowing full well Hiei was a rough lover. Desisting with Hiei himself for being too rough of a lover. If Yusuke go word of this and saw her wrists, he would rage. Worse still, if Koenma heard about it, it could be seen as a parole violation for Hiei harming a human; dragging Kurama down with him. Prison in the Spirit World because Hiei was too rough of a lover for this human woman-child was a ridiculously stupid reason.

Kurama spoke cautiously. "I see. And is it Yusuke who you smell like? Did he bruise you? Or was it someone else?" She shifted uncomfortably. "Was it Hiei?"

"Yes," she confirmed. A thousand and one questions sprung to his mind, wanting to know how this... whatever it was between the two of them sprang up. This was not good. He would have to keep Hiei's behavior in check. He could touch the girl all he wanted so long as he did not harm her.

She looked up at him nervously. An easy lie could help begin the process of smoothing this mess out. "He told me about you two, but he said he was being gentle," Kurama lied. She gave him such a docile, trusting look that made him sick to his stomach. "Promised he wouldn't hurt you if I didn't tell anyone. Clearly he lied to me." When Hiei found out about his lies, he would be equally unhappy with Kurama as Kurama was with him. "I made the tea for you. Pregnancy with a demon is a very dangerous thing." She swallowed thickly at the word 'pregnancy.' "Has he hurt you in other way?"

Her hands absentmindedly rubbed her thighs. Bruising along with possibly biting and scratching. At a quick glance over, he saw no other signs of bruising, bites, or scratches on her body. "Not on purpose. It doesn't hurt at the time very much," she said guiltily. "He'd stop if I asked. I'm sure he would." She was growing defensive, not for herself, but for Hiei. The two of them together still did not make sense to Kurama. Hiei looked down on her and she had been terrified of him. It was not a pairing he would have expected.

"Then why haven't you? Are you scared to tell him no?"

She shook her head grumpily. "It's not that," she sassed. Changing to an embarrassed tone, she added "I can't explain why, but I like his roughness."

That seemed like an uncharacteristic thing for her to say. With her demeanor, she seemed like someone who would want a gentle, tender lover. Not a rough and dominant teaser.

This was a good time to switch back to honesty. "You may think he's being rough, but he may think he's being gentle. When he decides to get rough in his vocabulary or looses control, he could break bones." Nanashi shifted uncomfortably. "If he looses control to the point where his demon side comes out, he could kill you without intending to."

"He wouldn't," she whined in his defense.

"He wouldn't want to," he corrected her. She pouted. "Has he bitten you anywhere?" So likely. "To the point where he has broke the skin?" If he ever did, she was in trouble. Hiei might not be a demon who craved human flesh, but it was a deeply buried instinct in all demons. It would be a nightmare if he ever accidentally did.

"No..."

"Don't let him," he warned her. He held nothing back. "Don't let him break the skin. Demons can go into a feeding frenzy when they taste human blood. Sometimes even the smell can do it."

She looked uncomfortable as she rubbed her right hand with her left hand. "What should I do?" she asked.

Kurama rubbed his eyes, unsure of how to respond. "Tell him. Tell him he's not being gentle enough. Make him see your bruises he caused. You don't deserve to be abused like this; whether he intends it or not. If he doesn't stop, tell me. I'll talk to him."

"Is that why the wind serpent would try to bite him?" An interesting thought that Hiei could sleep with her without the wind serpent liking him.

"Possibly. Just be careful with him. And eat a full meal when you drink the tea," he added the last sentence, hoping she would listen to him this time.


	41. Chapter 41

The fox wanted to interfere with the girl, make sure she was being handled gentler in bed. But he also had residual sexual frustration with her since she had helped him in the Dark Tournament with the death plant. On one hand, Hiei was reticent to share her, but on the other hand, he was intrigued with the idea of bedding both of them at once. Not that the fox would let him do too much of what he liked though. Nosy fox.

Once the detective left the apartment to meet up with the oaf, Hiei slipped into the girl's room and waited patiently for the two of them to arrive. He heard her cleaning in her kitchen. He smiled at the mental image of her on her knees in front of him. He rested his hand on himself and breathed out "Nishi..." under his breath. The pet name was easier to exhale in pleasure than her full name. And how fast she could learn. He felt a decrease in his desire to share her tonight.

He heard the fox knock on the door, right on time. "Hey," Nishi said innocently. "How are you?"

"Good," he heard the sly fox reply. "And you?"

"I'm alright, a little tired. Yusuke disappeared before clean up again..." she gripped. "I told him you were coming over. I thought he would stick around to see you, but once I started cleaning up, he couldn't get to the arcade fast enough apparently." It was odd to hear her complain about the detective so easily. Hiei could not remember her speaking so with himself before.

"He's alright," the fox replied.

"Well, the kitchen is finally clean. We can study here. Or the living room, but I hadn't quite finished tidying up in there yet."

"What about your bedroom?" the fox slipped in. "Knowing you, I'm sure it's the cleanest room in the apartment." Hiei felt another irk at his easy speech with her.

"Uh... okay," she agreed innocently.

The fox was not wasting anytime. Good. The girl came to her bedroom door, opened it, took a few steps, and then halted at the sight of him waiting patiently on her bed. The fox came up behind her. She let out a little unsure hum as she glanced back between the two of them. Since she did not know the plan for the night, he wondered if she was debating who to tell to leave and who would get her attention tonight. She would chose him over the fox tonight surely.

The fox spoke up, "Hiei, I think we need to explain ourselves now." He looked amused and had a mischievous glint in his eye.

Hiei smiled to himself at Nishi's bewildered look. She had no idea what they had planned and would probably never have imagined it in her wildest dreams. "Agreed. Fox?"

Nishi was looking at him and then shifted her glance behind her to the fox. He explained, "we both had an idea-"

Hiei interjected at the smooth lie. Nishi's turned back to look at him. "His idea. But I agreed to it if you do."

"Oh," Nishi said, her eyes widening in realization. She glanced at the fox, but did not meet his eyes. "I mean, can it..." she was looking back at him again nervously. "Will you be jealous?" she asked, worriedly. She was game for it. It was almost too easy.

"Nope," he answered shortly.

"Really?" she questioned, looking excited. He nodded in response.

The fox shut door, impatient to get on with it. Moving carefully, he came up behind her and touched her waist. In a whisper right by her ear, he explained truthfully, "he's more worried you'll be jealous." She gave a little shiver. "I could show him how best to be gentle and nice. Well?"

The girl looked a mixed of nervous and excited. Keeping her eyes on Hiei, she consented, "okay."

The fox must have planned his next move ahead a time because of how fluidly he moved. He took his right hand around her waist and his left hand brushed her hair off of the right side of her neck. Next he wrapped both arms gently around her waist, pulling her in close as he trailed soft kisses along her neck. The girl relaxed, seeming at such a natural ease in the fox's arms. Her hands rested on the fox's forearm around her waist. Hiei left her bed, stepping over to the pair. Her mouth was slightly parted and her eyes were almost closed. It was not a look he recalled seeing her have before. Remembering the fox wanted him to be gentle with her, he raised himself up, took her face into his willing hands, and kissed her mouth. She yielded to him as usual, but was less responsive than usual. Perhaps distracted by the fox's nuzzling.

When the girl gave a quick jump, Hiei broke the kiss enough to see why. The fox's hands had moved under her shirt, stroking her stomach and waist. She was panting softly, distracted from Hiei as the fox slid his hands slowly higher. Hiei wanted to watch her reaction when the stripped her down, so he broke his kissing on her mouth and the fox discontinued his teasing on her neck. Nishi gave a little whine.

The fox was quick to sooth her on one hand, but was pulling up her shirt on the other. "Patience baby."

The fox rolled her shirt up with a sly smirk, putting on a small show for Hiei to watch. He watched as the girl's upper body was relieved to him painfully slowly. The bra she had on was new, a soft looking item that held up her breasts in a taunting manner. It was not one worth ripping.

"Nice bra. I like this one," Hiei teased as he stepped back up in front of her. The fox intertwined his fingers with hers as her brought arms down slowly to her sides. Hiei stepped against her, kissing at the exposed parts of her breasts while the fox went after her skirt. First, the fox unzipped the skirt, paused, then unbuttoned the skirt, paused, and finally pushed it down along her legs as far as he could reach. Nonchalantly, he let the skirt drop to the floor and then trailed his hands caressingly up the outsides of her thighs. Hiei stepped back from her so she could step out of her skirt on the floor. He looked her over her slightly shy form in amusement. Even with the fox pressed up against her back, she was a sight to behold. A timid, not weak, little thing. Some how able to maintain an air of innocence in spite of everything she had experienced.

The fox slid his hands over her chest, squeezing her ever so slightly. Nishi rested her head on his shoulder, neck cocked in a way that if the fox wanted to, he could kiss it all over a second time. Hiei stepped over, brushing his right hand over her center. The girl gave off a labor exhale after his touching started. Using his left hand, he slipped it between her back and the fox's front, pushing the fox away ever so slightly. He slid his hand up to her bra and unhooked it. The fox stopped touching her and aided him in removing the now offending object. The fox slid each strap down her arms before letting it go. Once her bra was gone, Hiei brought his hands to her panties first, with the fox's following behind in a close second. The fox led the pace of pushing them down her thighs as far as he could reach. Hiei took them to the floor from there and lifted her feet from out of them, causing her to be slightly off balance. The fox steadied her at her waist.

"Careful," Hiei teased her from his position on the ground in front of her, licking his lips. She looked down at him trustingly, face tinged red.

Time had come to stop teasing her and give her what she wanted. Hiei shifted his knees to more comfortable position and then brought his mouth in contact with her clit, playing with it as softly as he could muster with the fox's gaze watching him. The girl's reaction was stronger than he had anticipated with him being so careful. She was shaking, hands clenched on the fox's forearm around her waist. Her breathing was growing increasingly unsteady. Hiei worried the fox would tell him to stop, to be gentler, but instead, the fox joined in on the fun. The fox slid his hand underneath her ass slid his middle finger inside of her mound. She had not even flinched when the fox touch her ass. The fox's added touch made her voice whimper and her legs shake. Hiei brought his hands to her hips, trying not to grip them too tightly. The only one who had a hard grip on anything in the room was the girl's white knuckled grip on the fox's forearm. She was not being told not to be so rough. Hiei moved his tongue faster on her, not daring to touch her with his teeth while the fox was here. Her breathing was deep, high pitched moans escaping her lips until she finally gave a soft scream of pleasure. Hiei brought his mouth off her after one final lick. The fox was still moving his finger inside of her until Hiei stopped him.

The girl had all but collapsed against the fox, head lulling straight back on his shoulder. Her hands no longer held fast to his arm. As Hiei stood up, the fox asked, concerned, "does she usually scream?"

Hiei gave him a wink. The fox did not need to know the answer to that question. "Wouldn't you like to know?" The girl was starting to come back around as she moved her head sleepily on the fox's shoulder. "Anyway, you're still clothed."

"So are you," the fox countered.

Nishi stirred in the fox's arms, so he took his hold off of her. She turned around to him and was fervently kissing his slightly bewildered form. Hiei clenched his jaw involuntarily at the sight. She ended the kiss and was working her nimble fingers along the fox's shirt buttons.

"Him next?" Hiei asked, wanting to take some control back over the situation. Nishi turned her head towards his voice and nodded. "Get behind him like he was with you." If the fox was not here, he would have given her backside a good smack to get her moving.

The fox frowned at his tone, but before he could speak, the girl was at him again. A small huff after the kiss was all he gave. The girl slid behind the fox, tugging his shirt off as she went. Hiei found her confidence over the fox intriguing. Doing the small things she wanted to him. With him, she would let him take the lead. He wondered at what she might be like if he let her lead one night.

The downside with the fox between them was his height. Without the fox bending down, Hiei was unable to kiss him. "Nishi," he spoke to the girl behind the fox. The fox's ears pricked up at the pet name. Later he would probably tease him over it. "Why don't you kiss him some more," he said as nicely as he could.

The girl raised herself up on the balls of her feet and the two of them kissed. Using her, Hiei guided her hands over the fox's chest, vaguely remember how the fox liked to be touched. The girl followed the guidance and moved her hands as guided, making the fox pant this time. While the girl worked him over, Hiei brought his hands to the hem of the fox's pants; teasing his hands underneath. The fox gave his own shiver as he yanked both his pants and boxers down, dragging them to the floor. Hiei gave a small laugh under his breath as he saw someone was excited. The fox stepped gracefully out of his pants.

The fox seemed to be enjoying the girl's touch, but he would not be allowed to completely know what all she knew how to do. Hiei stayed down, settling down comfortably on his knees in front of the fox. Reaching up, he took Nishi's hand in his, and brought it to rest on base of the fox's cock. The girl began moving her hand up and down along his shaft until Hiei stopped her half way from the base with his hand. He brought the tip of the fox in his mouth, sucking on it while the girl moved her hand in time with him. The fox was releasing soft moans by the time he gently pushed them off of him. The fox had taken back control of the night.

Hiei rose to his feet, annoyed with the lack of control, but the excited with the prospect that his turn had come. The fox bent down, kissing him softly. He could taste the girl on his lips. During the kiss, the girl was guided by the fox to stand behind him. The girl took his scarf off first, all by herself. The fox pulled away slowly, and then moved his hands to unclasp Hiei's cloak, letting the girl pull it off afterwards. They pulled his tank top off, with the fox leading the way. The fox brought his mouth back to Hiei's. Hiei worked his mouth to take the taste of the girl off of him while she slid her soft hands along his chest and side. He struggled to believe how much she had learn to do in such a short time.

The fox began moving things along. His hand came down to pet his cock. The fox moved his mouth down along his neck, making him moan in response. The girl needed to learn how to do these with her mouth. The girl followed the fox's move, undoing the belts on his pants before undoing his pants themselves. The fox moved his hand away as the girl did her work. Her hand played with him achingly nicely. He rested his head on her chest. The fox's hand slid in to join hers, matching pace with the girl. It was almost too much. The fox moved his hand away, bringing himself down to his knees, teasingly pulling off his pants with his hands, and even more teasingly, pulling his boxers off with he teeth. The act was annoying, knowing full well if he tried to use his teeth on either of them...

Nishi had her hand around the tip of Hiei's cock, rubbing at it just like he taught her. The fox stood up, bringing his mouth to his before moving up to the girl's mouth. He would need to kiss her off of him again.

"How should we do this?" he spoke up.

The fox pulled away from the girl, looking down at him. "Both of us in her at once?" he suggested coyly.

Hiei liked the sound of it. It would hurt her at first, but then it would drive her crazy.

The girl looked nervously as she nipped her own lip. The fox took her hand daintily and led her to the bed as Hiei watched. The fox lay too easily down on her bed, beckoning her to come to him. The girl shifted her weight between her feet. For motivation, Hiei pushed on her back to get her moving. She climbed onto the bed, straddling the fox without looking at his face. She had aligned her hips with his though, which was promising. The fox reached his hand down to his manhood, pressing it up at her mound. She gave her nervous nod. When he slipped inside, she gave a soft gasp. The fox reached up to her, guiding her down on top of him so she was pressed against him. She looked tense in her nervousness as she rested her head on the outside of the fox's shoulder. This was going to hurt and she expected it. She could handle it.

Hiei slide himself behind, pushing her leg further up on the bed. She was too still. As gentle as he could muster, Hiei pushed his member slowly inside of her, joining the fox. The girl's hands clenched at the fox's shoulder and upper arm as she gave out a pained whimper. Hiei paused, debating about either continuing on or staying still. The fox interrupted his thought; reaching up and pushing Hiei away.

The fox gave him a stern look and shook his head. "Gentle. Remember?" His hand stroked the back of the girl's head.

Hiei sat up and grunted in annoyance. The girl had let the fox slid his hand by her ass earlier. "Can I take you here?" he asked her, knowing full well she might likely say no. He lacked desire of the idea of having to take turns with her with the fox. He could just imagine the fox critiquing him while he watched. If they took her at the same time, the fox would be more focused on his own pleasure and not criticism.

"Um," she hummed.

The fox cut in again, hand still in her hair. "Have you ever done that before?" he asked in an accusing tone.

"No. Not yet," he clipped back.

The fox took charge as he pushed the girl off of him. She followed him without struggle. "Take me instead then."

Hiei nodded, taking this option as better than taking a turn. Hiei slid off the bed. The fox gave the now slightly confused girl a sweet peck, and then rolled her beneath him. He smiled down at her as he slipped back inside of her, hand on her face; thumb grazing over her lips. He was moving too slow inside of her. She would not enjoy that.

Hiei came up behind him, slipping one careful finger inside of the fox. Carefully, he brought a second and then third in, stretching him out enough to get him ready. The fox all the while took the girl slowly, too carefully. When ready, Hiei slid inside the fox, moving slow in him, the fox moved faster in her. He was not going fast enough for her. Hiei reached around the fox, seeking out and find Nishi's clit; knowing he found it when she gave off a desirous gasp. The fox echoed her gasp with his own. Her sudden tightness must have brought him over the edge because he froze and then collapsed on top of the girl while Hiei followed suit soon after.

Hiei slipped out of the fox, panting. In mental comparison, the girl was better because she yielded more than the fox. At the thought of her, he wondered out, "Nishi, did you come with him when I touched you?"

The girl opened her eyes and looked up from her entanglement with the fox. She shook her head shyly. That would not do. Hiei pushed the drowsy fox rather forcefully off of her so he could reach her center. He brought his mouth to her mound, disliking the scent and taste of the fox on her. His tongue flicked across her already sensitive clit, making her cry out breathlessly. The sound of her voice roused the fox while Hiei pleasured her the way he liked, refusing to be as gentle as the fox expected while he held the girl and watched. The girl clung to the fox while the fool soothed her and stroked her face and hair. The fox looked down at him frowning, prompting him tease her harder. All his soothing fell on death ear as she cried out in pleasure deafeningly close to the fox's ear. For an added bit of defiance, Hiei bit her thigh, making her jump and cry out in surprise; all while maintaining eye contact with the fox, challenging him to tell him off while the girl lay there cooing. Hiei sat himself comfortably at the foot of her bed, watching the two of them entangled.

The fox stirred uncomfortably. He slipped away from the drowsy human and sat up. The girl rolled over towards him and propped herself up on her elbows. "Are we still studying?" she asked with a ghost of a smile.

The fox gave a laugh under his breath. "Not tonight. I should get going." He glanced over to Hiei as he spoke next. "Hiei will stay with you," emphasis on the 'will'. The fox gave her a soft peck on the lips before give Hiei an equal one.

The fox dressed himself while the girl watched him with a soft smile on her face. When he headed out the door, Hiei followed. The idea of staying with the girl was an a nerving one. To just sleep beside her. Let his guard down around her. "What should I do?" he rushed out.

The fox turned back to him, surprised at such a question. "Stay with her tonight. Let her wake up in your arms," he teased. "Oh, and you weren't too rough tonight. With either of us."

Not too rough. The comment irked him. "Thanks. I tried not to."

"Good night Hiei. Remember, this was a one time thing." The fox left, shutting the door softly behind him.

Hiei paused to look around the small kitchen before dragging his feet back to the girl's room. The girl was putting on her pajamas. She paused and looked over at him as he closed the door, went over to where his boxers lay, and put them on. The fox said stay and would hear about it whether he did or did not. He climbed into her bed, under her covers, and laid down. The bed was too soft and would be too small for them both to sleep at a distance. She would have to be right up next to him.

His ears pricked up as he heard her quietly approach the bed. She pulled the sheets out of her way laid down on her side next to him. She placed one delicate hand on his chest and then placed an equally delicate kiss on his lips. He gave a stiff exhale, not wanting to go to sleep around her. The delicate little thing adjusted herself in the bed, letting him lay as he wished and placing her body curled around him. She rested her head on his shoulder, falling asleep with such an enviable ease. He felt tired himself, but he wanted to resist the urge to sleep around her. It would frighten her. This was going to be a long night with no sleep.

He slept in spite of himself, catching a nightmare before it got serious, jumping awake. The girl whined in her sleep, turning over to the face away from him. He turned with her, giving into the urge to pull her in close. Even in her sleep, she yielded to what he wanted. The desire to sleep was palpable, but resistible. As the night crept away and the grey dawn crept in, the girl stirred, trying to move to sleep on her stomach and then giving up, and falling back asleep.

As the sun rose, the girl slept on. Hiei felt tempted several times to get up and leave, but the fox had said to have her wake up in his arms. He wished she would wake up already. Maybe if he moved around she would be jarred awake and he could leave.

At the sound of a ringing cell phone on her nightstand made the girl jump awake, squirming out of his grip to grabbed the phone. She pulled it in close, bringing it to her ear. Sleepily, she whispered into the phone, "hello..." She laid her head back down on the pillow.

Hiei heard the faint sound of the fox's voice coming from the phone. "You may be tired, but we still have training today, remember?" The girl just whined in the phone. "And your already 5 minutes late." The girl gave an annoyed grunt under her breath. "Remember what I told you for every minute you are late?"

The girl huffed. "An extra five minutes for every minute I am late."

"So you need you hurry," the fox's muted voice hinted.

The girl grumbled under her breath, forming no real words. She wriggled, moving to sit up. A mischievous thought crossed Hiei's mind. He brought his hand under her breasts, pushing her down on to her back on the bed. He looked down at her and gave her a small, but wicked grin. The girl gave a sharp inhale of breath as he reached his hand into her pants and teased her.

The girl had been too silent over the phone. "So are you coming?" the fox asked her over the phone.

Hiei gave a soft laugh at his words. The girl had her free hand up over her mouth, fighting to hold her voice back while on the phone with the fox. Hiei took the phone from her and brought it up to his own ear. She brought that hand up on her mouth as well.

What a fun way to show the fox he was he had stayed. "How long do you usually train her?" he asked without any introduction.

"Hiei," the fox responded. Hiei could see in the fox's slight smirk in his head.

"Well?" Hiei asked. The fox gave a small, slightly annoyed huff. To the girl beneath him, he asked loudly. "How long does he usually train you?"

The girl shook her head, hands clenched to her mouth. She would need to breath sometime, knowing she would not dare let her element serpent out.

"One of you is going to answer soon," Hiei teased as he drove his finger deeper inside of her.

The girl allowed herself to breathe, leading to a smothered moan escaping from her hands. Hiei hoped the fox picked up on it. She went back to not breathing.

"Hiei, she's tired. You'll wear her out," the fox scolded. "She's young and soft still."

Hiei ignored his complaint. "Which one of you is going to answer my question first?"

"Two hours," the fox conceded. "Now two and a half hours if she got here right now. And lunch afterwards."

Hiei scowled at how much time the fox spent with her. "Take the day off," Hiei concluded. "I'll train her today. She learns fast with me."

"Hiei, that's not-" the fox protested, clearly annoyed as Hiei hung up the phone, laying it down next to the girl's head.

Hiei pulled her hands away from her reddened face. She let her voice out as softly as she could muster. "If he calls again, you will answer. And you will speak to him." He felt her legs tighten, drawing closer together. She was close. He pulled his hand away from her and brought his legs around her. "You were going to be late to your training with the fox," he scolded her as he pressed his morning wood down on her center. "On purpose." She shook her head rapidly. He clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his own head slowly. "That won't do," he smiled wickedly at her, moving his hips slowly back and forth. "Six minutes late for two hours of training." He pushed down on her red faced body. "Two and half hours is quite a while," he added, thinking of what they could do in such a long morning.


	42. Chapter 42

Kurama bid Nanashi to follow him to the rooftop after school the very next school day. Once no one else was around, he stepped closer to her, looking her over. She seemed uncomfortable with how near he brought himself to her. Ignoring her discomfort, he examined her the best he could. With his hand under her chin, he checked her face and neck. No marks, no bruising. He dropped his hand from her chin and brought it to her left arm next, pushing up her sleeves to check her wrists and forearms. He did the same with her right arm. Her skirt was too long to see the condition of her thighs. When he let her right arm go, she side stepped silently away from him and stood near the ledge.

"Anything I can't see?" he asked her softly. She thought slowly, touching her neck absentmindedly, and then shook her head. She looked tired. Too tired. She would not be able to keep pace with Hiei much longer. One way or another, this was not going end well. Kurama sighed, watching her shifting form intently. "He's being gentler?"

She nodded with a small blush raising up on her face. Then she looked up at him, nervously meeting his eyes, moving her mouth to speak, pausing, and then looking away past the rooftop. "How long..." she began, clearing her throat. "How long is... his parole here...?" her voice trailed off as she spoke.

Kurama stepped over to stand next to her and look over the rooftop with her. "As long Koenma can keep him here," 'and I can keep him under control,' he thought, but did not speak.

She looked slightly down, hands resting on the ledge. "How long might that be?"

"I don't know," he answered her honestly.

Her mouth moved in a sort of way where she was speaking without words. She grunted under her breath before she spoke. "Demons can stay in the Human World... without any sort of punishments...? You've done it."

Kurama sighed internally at her words. She was in too deep. Did not know Hiei's desire to return to the Demon World as soon as possible; did not know she could not follow him even if she wanted to; and did not know that while he might enjoy her company, the second he could go home, he would leave her without hesitation; no matter how either of them felt. "There are ways, but they are so few..." She looked up at him with a sad hopefulness. If she was not in love now, she would be soon. If only he had known sooner from either of them, he could have put a stop to it. Trying to put a stop to it now would be met with resistance from both. Now he would have to watch for the day to come where her heart would be broken. And he would be the one that would have to pick up the pieces.


	43. Chapter 43

The girl was alone in the woods, reading her book and ignoring the birds pecking around. She had no desire to shoo them away. The birds still danced around her in a hopeful dance. Even birds she never fed liked her. Hiei watched her on her prone form on her blanket, absorbed in yet another story, but could sense her elemental serpent just under her neck, guard up should someone approach her unawares, but only if they got within reach of her. She was learning after all. Hiei was far enough away that she did not notice him as she flipped the pages of her book. Hiei took a sense of the area. Only one boy around her age was nearby. Once he left the area, Hiei could sneak over to her. Outside would be a nice change from her bedroom. And if she did not go for that, maybe she would feed him later at least.

The boy did not leave though. The skinny, unshaped brat approached her with an arrogant swagger. Hiei peaked into his mind, seeing immediately the boy's, the green boy's desire to have her back, have her again, but any means necessary. She was no longer his. Hiei felt a snarl escape his lips as he followed after the green boy.

The girl jumped and turned around as her elemental spirit rose from her shoulders and hissed at the green boy. In response, the girl was on her feet and had her elemental spirit out as an ax. She halted then, seeing who it was. "Taiki!" she said in surprise. She froze up in her recognition of the green boy.

The green boy seemed unbothered by her ax. Clearly he had no spiritual awareness. He moved confidently towards her still, shrill voice speaking with veiled threats. "Thought you could hide here in some two bit town. Well, Umi knew and she told me where you were in a sorts after some convincing."

Umi... the name was familiar... Hiei had heard Nishi say that name often enough to know it. By the sounds of it, the green boy had threatened that girl. By the looks of him, the green boy was not a fighter, but rather a conniver.

The girl tensed up, flexing her own stronger body than the green boy's slight and bony figure. "What did you do to her?!" The girl had a flex of rage with a hint of fear. "How did you find here?! What do you want?!"

The green boy stood on her blanket, carelessly wiping his feet on it. He cocked one hand on his hip and flipped his hair with his other hand. Insolent and proud as a peacock. He would never touch her. Hiei moved closer, moving cautiously, lest she see him approaching. If she saw him, her face would give him away to the green boy. The green boy did not need to know his death was coming up behind him.

The green boy kept squawking, "I couldn't convince her, so I hacked her email. Found your address. Went there. Some boy that looks like you said you'd be here. And here I found you, you're still my girlfriend after all."

Hiei held back the hiss in his throat at the boys last words. The girl was his until he was done with her. And he was not done with her yet.

"What?" the girl swallowed, readjusting her grip on her ax.

"We never did break up. I know you said we did, but I don't accept that. You just disappeared without a word. Making me look like a fool for quite a long time." Those biting words berating her were distasteful. Almost there. "Well now that I've missed you long enough, I think it's time to make up for that lost time. Wouldn't you say?"

As the cocky green boy went to step closer to her, Hiei had come within striking distance of him. Even though the boy was taller, Hiei was able to kick him in the back on the knees and send him to the ground on them without any trouble. Pulling his sword out was no trouble. Hiei brought his hand to the back of the green boy's hair and yanked it back and up so he could look upon his own face. The green boy's face was wide eyed in panic and terror. When Hiei's sword laid across his neck, the green boy began to blubber, wetting the front of his pants disgracefully. This was what the girl had wasted her first time on. This was what had had come to try to claim her from him. He would die today, never having touched her another time.

"NO! You can't kill him!" the girl shouted.

Hiei ignored her, watching the ugly, frightened green boy beneath him. This human, who had threatened her, harmed someone she knew, and had harmed her. He would be so easy to kill; just a flick of the wrist and he would die a painful death.

"Who is that?!" the green boy whimpered out like a frightened child.

"You can see him?" the girl asked dumbly. She was smarter than that.

Without looking up, Hiei replied to her easily, "I'm letting him see me. I can be the last thing he sees before he dies." The green boy cried harder in terror. At least when the girl cried, she had a cuteness, a gentleness about her. The boy was just an increasingly hideous sight.

The girl began to plead, "let him go Hiei. He's not worth it." His death would be so easy. "Your parole remember? You kill him and you're done. Gone." The fox had been talking out of turn. All he had to do was slit the green boy's throat and say he was defending the girl. The fox would have to defend him and the girl would do so as well, oh so willingly. The prince could not possibly send him and the fox to prison for that.

And then he could not breathe. His lungs would not move in or out no matter how hard he tried. He looked up at her and narrowed his eyes at her heavily breathing form. He still held the green boy at sword point, all he had to do was outlast her spirit energy and then he could kill the green boy. She should know better than to interfere with this. The green boy threatened to take her away from him. He would die before he got the chance to try. He would rather bite her than let this blubbering child take her away from him before he was done with her.

"Let him go," she pleaded heartfeltly for the stupid green boy. Like she might love him still after all this time. "Let him run. If he comes for me again, I'll kill him myself," she promised.

Hiei still could not breath, blinking in vain to chase the black spots from his vision. She had to let up soon. She would not be able keep it up for much longer. If he passed out now, the green boy would flee the city and he would get to live.

He let the boy go. Better to let the whelp scrabble away and chase him down after he got the girl out his way first. The green boy could not move fast enough to get away from them. Hiei kept his eyes on the girl as the green boy ran off, trying to figure out her motives for saving him. She was his, not the green boy's. The green boy would not be able to take her away from him, but should die for even trying to attempt it. She looked timid and wounded.

"I'll let you breathe if you promise not to kill Taiki," she promised. Hiei shook his head at the ridiculous promise. "Agree or I'll you die." Hiei gave her a slight nod that she could interpret as she like. She took it a promise that was not spoken. "I'll hold you to that. If I hear Taiki's dead, I'll turn you in myself," she threatened. She finally let him breathe, hunching over and panting as she herself had not been breathing the last few minutes.

Hiei rounded on her, knowing as soon he had her out of the way, the sooner he could go after the green boy. "How dare you?! He deserves to die for what he did to you, for what he clearly wanted to do to you!" He came at her faster than she had expected.

She jumped away from him, sliding her elemental serpent down her arm and let it sink its teeth into his own arm. The fangs slid in and burned as they moved. The pain forced his hand to flex, dropping his sword. The bold girl wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him close.

"You promised it would never attack me," he spat.

"Yeah... well, you tried to kill someone," her voice creaked. "I couldn't let you," she confessed. She called off her damned pet and let him go.

He turned around without hesitation, flipped her over, and let her land on her back hard. She gave a strangled groan as she landed. She stayed still on the ground. Pitiful. "If you really wanted to save him, you shouldn't have let me go," he informed her. He turned away from her, moving towards his sword. Once he had that, he could track down the green boy and make it look like an accident. Maybe just chase him into something stupid. The detective was not the only idiot who could be killed by a human vehicle.

As Hiei bent down for his sword, he felt a hard smack on his back, sending both her and him pitching forward down the nearby hillside. When they hit the bottom of the hill, Hiei rolled smoothly onto his feet, reaching for his sword before he realized it was at the top of the hill. The insolent girl struggled to get on her feet, looking disheveled and half frightened. If she was gunning for a fight, it would not take long to shove her off and hunt the green boy down. Her lips were twitching; probably trying to figure out a way to win. She could not win. She was too weak and too green herself to even hope to defeat him in combat. He may have fucked her, but that did not make her a stronger fighter. He had watched the fox train her. This would not last long.

He charged towards her, meaning to frighten her. Once frightened, she would freeze, and that would end it. She stumbled like a drunkard to her feet while he pounded at her. He kept enough distance from her should she set her pet on him again. She was slowing down, but it was taking too long. Every second that passed, the green boy got farther away and closer to the edge of the city. She took each blow he dealt better than she had before when he had trained her. When she let the pet go beneath her shoulders, she was weaker and more vulnerable. He was able to risk getting closer to her. She stumbled, allowing him the opportunity to shove her down. She went done hard on her knees and would have fallen further had he not stayed her fall with his arm around her neck. Her nails bit into his arm, but was unable to brake his grip.

"Where's your serpent now?" he hissed in her ear.

She struggled against him more, trying to throw him off of her back. "Let me go," she struggled out. She pulled her neck back to get away from his arm, but Hiei brought his arm to follow her. She could hardly breathe. Good. That meant she depleted her spirit energy like a fool. Her struggling had lessened. She tried to stand between him and the green boy he wanted dead. Based on her vain actions to protect the green boy, she would neither of theirs once the green boy was dead.

"No," he told her. "You choked me, now I'll choke you."

She kept struggling to free herself and to breath. He waited impatiently for her to pass out. Best way to incapacitate her after she attacked him. Once she did, he could hunt the human he really wanted to harm. Then, like a puff of smoke, her elemental serpent was back on her shoulders, not moving. That was not possible. She had exhausted her spirit energy. The damned fool was using her life energy. All to save the life of green boy who wanted to take her back and rape her.

"What are you doing?! You'll kill yourself!" he raged.

Her head lolled and her body was growing colder. "Promise you want kill or harm..." Every word she spoke pushed her closer towards death. She was willing to die pleading to protect him. "...Taiki and I'll let it go..."

"Send the serpent away," he rushed out, "and I won't do anything to kill, maim, or harm that stupid boy." He would have to chase the boy down now; make him do something stupid to get himself killed. The girl obeyed, letting the elemental serpent go. Hiei dropped her carelessly. She fell forward, not even bracing her fall with her arms. She panted deeply, as if trying to get as much air as possible into her lungs. Last time she panted so hard beneath him, he fucked her too hard. Those days were done. "Congratulations. You're the first human since your cousin to defeat me in a fight. And only because you tried to kill yourself. Somehow, I'd be blamed for that," he cursed at her.

Hiei managed to catch up to the green boy too easily. Unfortunately, where he caught him was him fleeing onto a bullet train. Once on the train, there was no way to frighten the green boy into traffic or other danger that could kill him. The only way to stop the green boy would be to go after the train. If he attacked the train, other humans would die. Those deaths would not be forgiven. He watched the train zoom off, allowing the foolish boy who dared to try to take her away from him get to live.

There was one person he knew who could pursue the green boy beyond the city limits. Hiei stole away towards the fox's home.


	44. Chapter 44

Kurama was at home, on the roof in its small greenhouse; going over his own plants and herbs to see which one would be best on the table near the door. His mother was resting in her own room. For someone her age, she tired too easy. Was too frail.

Hiei stole into his room through the window, flustered. The breeze that followed Hiei in stirred up the dried herbs on his desk, much to his annoyance. Mixing the wrong ones could be deadly. They would have to be burned should he risk using them.

"And what brings-" Kurama began, but Hiei interrupted him.

"I need you to kill someone," he rushed out. Before Kurama could even get another word, Hiei told him everything about the green boy and Nanashi and the fight he had with her in the park. "... the green's boy's left the city. She delayed me long enough that he got away. You need to go after him. Put him down."

Kurama looked on Hiei in shock. If Nanashi had not attacked him, that 'green boy' would not have been to get away. Hiei would have killed him, in interest to protect someone else from taking Nanashi away from him. As territorial with a lover as any demon would be. He would have killed the boy, violating his parole in the Human World; there by sending Kurama to prison with him. It was a terrifying prospect.

"You would have killed him," Kurama breathed out, half not believing his own words. The anger dwelling inside of him boiled over. For the sake of his resting mother, should she hear him, he kept his voice down, but let his temper out in the firmness of his voice. "You would have killed him!" The shorter demon looked up at him in his own shock. "You would have ruined everything!" He looked around the room at his plants and herbs, eyes resting on the ones he was looking at to help his mother's dwindling energy. "You would have ruined everything I've built for myself here. I would be taken away from my mother-" he paused, trying to keep control of temper. "All because some stupid, naive boy came along. A boy that she could have easily handled herself. And you would have killed him!"

"He wanted to attack her-"

"She can protect herself. You've seen her take on a demon before. A human boy would be no match."

"He wanted to take her-"

"You don't need to kill him for it! You don't want her anymore anyway. Not after she attacked you."

"You can kill him then!" Hiei's voice was too loud.

"Keep your voice down. My mother is sleeping," Kurama softened his tone to keep himself and the demon in front of him calm. "I'm not going after the boy. After the sight of you, he'll never come anywhere near her or this city for the rest of his life. Besides, she could have handled the boy on her own. She could have handled a weak demon on her own. But you wouldn't know that because you refuse to help train her. You just exhaust her instead because you're bored."

"I seen enough today to know how reckless and stupid she is when she fights. If she died, the green boy would have never gotten her. I could have just let her die when she was stupid en-"

Kurama heard the threat against Nanashi in his words. If he did not pursue the boy, then he would go after her instead. "She's mine now," Kurama rushed out, a bold, but calculated move. "You don't want her anymore, so she's mine now." Hiei had made it clear after she attacked him, that he did not want her anymore. In the Demon World, if a demon wants to claim another without mate claiming them, they could do so; a pre-claim. Unlike a mate claim, which was permanent, a pre-claim could be temporary and easily broken off. While Kurama had burned off his arousal for her, he made the claim to keep her safe for the time being. He would not even have to touch her for it.

"You don't even want her," Hiei hissed out. The sight of him was all livid and bristling.

Calmly, Kurama drew his hands behind his back and questioned, "I thought you did not want her anymore. Why can I not have her? I have slept with her before. You were there." Hiei's right hand slipped to his sword's hilt as he took up a defensive stance. Without Kurama moving an inch, the doors to the green house banged closed and then where covered with vines. With feigned casualness, Kurama glanced down at the wind strewn herbs, picked up a safe handful of them in his left hand, and held them out in front of him. "It was very dangerous to mix these dried plants up. You did that when you carelessly opened the door. In the wrong mix, they can be deadly. In water, on the skin, even inhaled too deeply," he bluffed. He let his own threat hang in the air. Hiei straightened his back stiffly, one eye on the handful of herbs. His hand clenched up and slide from his sword. Without another move, the doors opened with a slow creak. The smaller demon stole out of through the open doors. Kurama heaved a sigh of relief that that had not come to a fight. It would have been an unpredictable outcome.

In a rush, Kurama gathered up the mixed up herbs, burning them up quickly. He locked the greenhouse doors and summoned plants within the doors and walls to protect the contents within. After checking on his mother, who still sleeping, he scribbled a quick note saying he was out visiting a friend. Then he himself left the house then, heading towards the poorer side of town where Nanashi and Yusuke lived.

The trip seemed to take longer than usual. When he finally arrived at their apartment, Yusuke answered the door with Kuwabara. The idea of them being there complicated things. Nanashi appeared from the door of her bedroom. She looked awful; bruised, beaten, and worn out. There was a small fire in her eyes behind the wounded, nervous look her face wore.

After as brief as possible, partly true explanation of what happened, including a lie that established a fake relationship between the two of them, Kurama found himself finally alone with Nanashi in her room. At her window sill, he sowed two seeds on the bottom corners. The plants within the seeds would grow and attack should anyone, demon or otherwise, attempt to enter through the window and harm her. Inwardly he realized that this was going to be a complicated endeavor, but a worthwhile one because her actions kept him free.


	45. Chapter 45

The girl was annoying in the end, truly a waste of time, but with the fox calling her his own, she was untouchable. Insultingly untouchable as he guarded her window with two seeds from dangerous demon plants, but the fox never touched her; never wanted to touch her. He claimed her not out of desire, but to protect her from Hiei's own wrath. The green boy he wanted dead was free and alive. The most annoying thing about her was how dull the Human World became without her attention. His parole could not end soon enough.

At least after the fox called her his own, the Human World got interesting again. The detective was kidnapped. How the hell a strong human like that got kidnapped would make for an interesting story; he must have done something stupid again. In that stupidity, Hiei was dragged into another mission, but not before the grim reaper promise him he could go back to the Demon World after this mission. It made up for having to be stuck with her in his presence once more.

The detective's rescue was rouse, a trick by the old woman. Just the tip of the ice berg. The previous detective was planning to open the gate to the Demon World upon the Human World. One way or another, getting back home to the Demon World was possible. Sitting back to watch and wait would be easy.

Until the detective struck a doable bargain; help stop the old detective, then the Chapter Black tape, would be his. The temptation to see the worst of humanity before returning home drew him in. Even if it meant he would have to help save the oaf.

At the sight of the girl and her enlarged serpent, nearly changed his mind. The creature head stayed near hers, but wrapped its body all the way down her right arm. The end of its tail rattled. How did that creature get so long and strong? The fox would probably be smug about it if he made the argument that she was stronger because she was not worn out a few nights a week. She had still prevented him from slaying the green boy when he had the chance.

Through the caves, the eight of them went, after the oaf and to the stop the crazy former detective from unleashing hoards of demons on the Human World. Through the tunnels, the girl's creature grew larger as they got closer and closer to their destination. The larger it grew, the stronger it grew, and the more she grew as well.

When they reached about half way, a boy dragged them into a video game territory, Hiei took the time to rest, rather than watch games being played. When he awoke, it was the girl's creature who told him how the fox let the boy die so they could keep going. The connection allowed a glimpse into both the wind serpent's mind and the girl's. Silently, almost unconsciously, he saw she wanted him back. It was an unexpected discovery has she pulled her serpent away from him silently, and turned to follow the fox deeper into the cave.

Watching on his own the fox trapping the Elder Toguro was an intimidating sight. Hiei did not want to wonder at the thought of what the fox would have done had they actually fought over the girl. The more irritating thing that came next was having to watch the detective's murder. The girl's piercing screams, screams so different from the ones he used to be so satisfied to make her make, rattled his own soul as he felt the shock of the detective's death wash over him.

Once free from the floor demon, they pursued the rogue detective right up to where the barrier between the two worlds held fast. Once the oaf cut the barrier down, they continued their pursuit and fought the rogue one at time. The detective came back to life beyond strong and defeated the rogue. It was not until after thinking over the battle that Hiei had realized the girl had flown.

When they returned to the Human World, into the same cave they had come from, the girl lost her dragon wings, but unexpectedly fallen upon by the Spirit Defense Force sent by King Enma to originally murder the reborn, demonized detective. She panicked, kicking and thrashing more like a beast than a human to try to get away from them. One glimpse into the mind of their captain, and he saw Plan B; if the detective could not be killed, then the girl was to be taken as a hostage to ensure good behavior on the part of the detective. She had nearly been taken from him once by the wind demon, and then claimed away from him by the fox, but this time, she would not be taken away so easily.

"Hey!" the detective roared at the three who struggled to keep hold of her. One of them brought her hand to the front of girl's throat, pushing her head up for a better grip. The girl gave off an animalistic sound in response; a half hiss, half snarl. Hiei could sense the other three exhausted men bristling in their own ways at the sight. "Let her go!" the detective ordered as he headed over to the four.

While the detective went for the four of them, Hiei rounded on their captain as the man spoke: "we need to see if your relative is also part demon. It won't take long. She will have to come with us-" The man was smart enough to stop talking with Hiei's sword lined up his own neck. The lie that was slipping out his mouth stopped abruptly. They wanted her to keep the detective in check... and if she were strong enough for it, on their team as well. They thought she was strong for a human.

When the captain desisted in speaking, his team seemed to freeze. The detective and the others seemed to freeze. The girl looked straight at him, disbelievingly. The woman with holding her throat slowly and cautiously moved her hand down to the girl's shoulder instead.

With everyone's eyes, both friend and foe, on him, he informed the captain: "she's not going anywhere. You know she's fully human already. You mean to conscript her onto your team instead. Someone who can keep Yusuke's demon nature in check." He boldly laced his own threat into his next words, "If you still want her, you can make her the new leader. The other one is soon to disposed of."

The captain did not need telling twice. "Let her go."

The three holding her dropped their hands immediately. Before they could even step back, she rounded on them. Fearlessly, she gave each one of them a slap in the face; the hardest smack landed across the mouth the woman who was foolish enough to choke her. The woman spat blood from her mouth as she backed away from the angry human before her. She turned back to look upon the captain standing by Hiei. Hiei took his sword from the leader's throat, sheathing his sword. Her gaze locked on his briefly; her furious scowl softened in a heartbeat. She moved her lips for a second and then pursed her lips. She was finally proving herself to be a force to be reckoned with.


	46. Chapter 46

Hiei waited and watched impatiently for the prince and the detective to leave the restaurant they were eating a late dinner in. The prince stayed in his teenage human form during the meeting. The detective went one way, and the prince went the other. Hiei followed behind the prince from a distance until the detective was far enough away that he would not be able to interfere. Once the detective was clear, Hiei cut in front of the prince, shocking the prince out of his thoughts on the secluded human street.

The prince looked spooked and then huffed, "Hiei, you frightened the life out of me." Hiei straightened his back and crossed his arms over his chest. He impatiently waited for the prince to speak. "Is there something you need?" he gripped.

"When am I going home?" Hiei half demanded.

The prince rubbed his eyes and looked around the area, noticing a few milling humans around. He cocked his head towards the nearest deserted alley way. Hiei followed him unwillingly.

Hiei repeated his question, "when am I going home?" He leaned his back against the grimy brick wall. He stared rudely up at the prince, feeling his impatience growing.

The prince grumbled, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Hiei, I can't-"

Hiei jumped from the wall. "I was promised-" the prince tried to interrupt, but Hiei spoke over him. "I was promised that if I participated in the last mission, then I could go home. That my parole was over."

"-and I told you that Botan had no authority to make that promise!" the prince was flustered. "She did not have the authority to make that promise and even if I wanted to fulfill it for you right now, I can't."

"Why not?" Hiei growled out, trying to keep a hold on his temper.

"I can't even think about going home right now myself; let alone filling out any paperwork that would be required to allow you back home. My father is up in arms that I won't have Yusuke executed now that his demon genes are coming in. And that I won't un-name Nanashi as a spirit detective. If I go home, I could find myself a cell that I almost put you or Kurama in, Yusuke assassinated, and Nanashi's wind dragon removed from her soul and given to the captain of the SDF."

Hiei ignored what he could what he could in the prince's excuses. "So when can you fill out your precious paperwork?"

"Were you listening to anything I was saying?" the prince snapped. "I can't go home and I don't know when I could possibly. I'm trying to keep two humans alive while in my own exile in this world. I can't protect the two of them, go home myself, and then even think about sending you back to the Demon World. I'm sorry."

Hiei bristled at the sound of more excuses. "How long are you in exile then?"

"I don't know. It could be days or years. The same for you at this point now." The prince paused, taking the time to pace in the alleyway, muttering to himself. "If you really want to go home, I can try to make a new deal with you to get it..." he said slowly. "I can't easily watch over both humans... Kurama and Nanashi broke up recently..." Hiei's ears perked up at that. "...so asking him to watch over her while I watch over Yusuke would be difficult for both of them. Especially her." The prince looked over at him slowly. "If you could watch over Nanashi for the time, keep her safe from a possible kidnapping by the SDF, then the minute I can, I can start the process to sending you back to the Demon World."

The idea was not overly undesirable. "Why does she need protection? Can't she defend herself?"

The prince hefted a sigh and rubbed his eyes. "You can't share this with anyone, especially Yusuke... but I have a spy inside the SDF. They originally wanted to take Nanashi and make her a member of their team. Not because she is strong, but because of the wind dragon. It grows stronger and makes its master stronger in turn every time it is exposed to demons. The stronger the demons, the stronger both become. My spy says they have debated long and hard and that they would be better off separating the wind dragon from her and giving it to their captain because he is loyal to the Spirit World, has more potential to grow stronger than she does, and their soul wave length's are compatible enough that he would survive the process. If successful, they would also try to replicate the creation process based off of the wind dragon as well."

Hiei shifted his weight, trying to appear nonchalant. "Why would they change their minds? They wanted to keep her on the team. That creature would never leave her willingly. How would they remove it?"

The prince shook his head. "Because of you," the prince paused, Hiei shifted his weight another time, feeling nervous about what the prince might know. Did the fox say something? "And Kurama. And Yusuke. She is surrounded by demonic friends. All three of you have shown that you will step to protect her. You're the one who did it in front of the SDF. They think her friendships show that she is sympathetic to demons, which means she would make for a horrible team member of the SDF.

"The debate's conclusion is to kill her, making her give up the creature just before death to the captain the same way Kaze gave up it up to her moments before his own death. If she doesn't, then they will hold onto her soul after her death and remove it that way. The second way is the most likely way. And it would lead to the destruction of her soul in the process."

Hiei shook his head. "They'd never take it from her. That creature clung to her as its creator died. Even if they did manage to take it from her and give it to their precious captain in the process, it would turn on him and kill him within seconds. Do the same to him as they did to her, or worse."

The prince frowned in confusion. "How do you know so much about the wind dragon?"

Treading softly, Hiei replied vaguely, without outright lying. "I've been around the girl more you have. Which means I have been around that slithering creature more than you have." The prince seemed to take that in in stride. "All I have to do is make sure she stays out of the hands of the SDF and then I get to go home the second you can?"

"Yes," the prince said with a nod. "I swear it."

Hiei smiled to himself. "Consider her safe. Until I leave this world that is."

The prince heaved a heavy sigh in relief. Hiei had turned around and was walking away as the prince kept speaking. "Thank you Hiei. You don't know how helpful that is."

Hiei left, traveling through the city and coming to rest on the roof of the building the girl, detective, and the detective's mother lived in. As he removed his headband, he closed his eyes, seeking out and easily finding the girl's mind. She was settling down to sleep, tiredly slipping into unconsciousness. Patiently, he waited forty minutes to ensure she was in a deep sleep before he entered her mind.

Shifting through her mind carefully, he slid down into the mind of the resting creature. The creature stirred cautiously, holding still a small disdain for Hiei. 'What do you want?' it hissed at him. It's power was nearly intimidating. A lesser demon would tremble in its wake.

Hiei retold what the prince had told him to the wind dragon.

Not surprisingly, the wind dragon raged, 'they will never touch her! I will never leave her! I will kill anyone who tries to kill her and separate me from her!'

'Calm down before you wake her,' Hiei warned.

The wind dragon seemed to settle down a slight bit. 'You're talking with me, not her. She won't hear anything I don't want her to.' The creature bristled. 'So you protect her now? Are you sure you want to do that?'

'To get what the prince promised me, yes,' he easily replied.

'The other dragon master will protect my dragon master... until he gets to return to his own precious world...' the wind dragon grumbled. 'Take us with you when you leave.'

Hiei laughed aloud at the thought. 'There's no way in hell that would be possible. Crossing between worlds is nearly impossible. The stronger someone is, the even more impossible it is. I can't simply take a human with me into the Demon World and expect her to survive.'

'She'd survive,' the wind dragon scoffed. 'She has me.'

'A human just can't cross over to the Demon World on their own free will and then stay there.'

'She can. As your mate.'

Hiei felt himself do a double take. 'How do you know about that?'

'She's not only educated master I've had. You didn't think a demon hunter would know nothing about the ways of demons did you?.'

Hiei shook his head. 'I can't take her with me,' he concluded, finding the idea of that burden undesirable.

The wind dragon gave a guttural growl. 'You'll help me keep her safe until your gone then.' It was not a question.

'Yes,' Hiei agreed verbally.

'I will tell her what she needs to know and will leave out what she doesn't need to know. She's distracted from her studies. She doesn't need to know about the SDF's unachievable plans for her.' The wind dragon stirred and breathed out. 'Meet with her. Go back to her. I may not want to like you, but she certainly does,' he added with disdain.


	47. Chapter 47

At the behest of the creature, the wind dragon, Hiei had met in person with the girl and discovered for himself she wanted him back in her bed. Bad enough that she went herself to get more tea from the fox. That would have been an amusing conversation to watch. He highly doubted she carried any residual attraction for the fox. Part of him still wanted to doubt based on their easy friendship and continued training. Once a week passed with the girl shutting her bedroom every night and drinking the fox's tea every morning, Hiei risked returning to her bed; looking forward to it, but feeling a different kind of hesitation to do it. Something deep down felt very different when he hunched down on her window sill. The fox had warned him of the two seeds he planted in her window sill. Cautiously, he placed his hand down on the sill, sending a burst of heat under the wood, incinerating the two seeds should they pose a problem for him.

She lay on her side, sleeping peacefully and facing the window; her hand lay softly clasping the edge of her mattress. Her sleepwear was soft and warm, protection against the chilling weather. She slept unaware as he slipped his shoes off by her bed and rested his sword against the top of her bed. Her mouth was slightly parted, hair brushed back behind her head. She did not awake until he pulled away the blanket over top her body and he rolled her over onto her back. Hesitantly, he lay his body down on top of hers, keeping his face raised above her own. Her body was so warm beneath him.

She batted her eyes open and when she was alert enough to his presence, she gave a sweet little smile and whispered his name.

As he brought his hands around her face, he whispered his own pet name for her: "Nishi."

He pulled her head up to his, bringing her lips against his before slipping his tongue into her mouth. Her hands came around his neck and pulled his head down with hers as she brought it back to rest on her pillow. She took the lead in their kiss as her body trembled like a leaf underneath his. Sneaking his hand between the two of them, he deftly unbuttoned her shirt. Her smooth skin was hot to the touch. He wondered vaguely if it was because she was wearing warm clothing, she was aroused, or a mixture of the two. He run his hand across her rib cage, making sure to go as slow and gentle as he could muster.

As he slipped his hand up to cup her breast, he pulled himself away from her kiss. He looked down at her pink lips as he dragged his thumb across the center of her breast. He felt her gazing up at him, uninhibited. He closed his eyes and made to turn his face away from hers, but he stopped himself. He opened his eyes and met her gaze. One word came to his mind as he held her gaze: 'mine.'

Breaking her gaze, he shifted his head up kissed her forehead while he renewed his strokes on the left side her chest. He heard her give the tiniest gasps. He moved his lips down, barely kissing each closed eye lid. He moved his mouth to the right side of her face, nipping and kissing down to her jaw line. Her skin was flushed pink along her face and neck. He nuzzled her face towards her left shoulder as he went after the right side of her neck. He felt her squirm and wince briefly when he caught himself biting too hard on her neck. 'Mine,' he thought as he relaxed his jaw and took his teeth off of her neck. 'Only mine.'

He moved his mouth further down her body, shifting his own body to make room for it. He kissed the top of her left breast, then moved his mouth and tongue around and then down to center. He flicked it with the tip of his tongue, wondering vaguely at what made him want to be so thorough with her tonight. Her gasps became quiet moans as she arched her upper back beneath him. Her quick movement through his off guard, so he instinctively took as much of her breast in his mouth as he could and bit down on the flesh between his teeth. She cried out at the unexpectedly hard bite.

'Mine,' he thought as he took his mouth off her. He allowed himself to release a breathy laugh as he ran his hand over the area he bit too hard. 'Not the fox's, not the wind mage's. Mine.'

He was broken out of his thoughts as she was pushing him. He felt a shiver of fright that she may be pushing him away. Instead, she pushed him just enough for her to get her shaking hands around his scarf as she practically tore it from his neck. She threw the now offending item carelessly to the floor and then attacked his cloak; repeating the process. Before doing the same to his undershirt, she licked her lips seductively. Once he was topless she pushed him until his back was fully straightened. Her hands danced over his torso and chest, where she teased him similar to how he used to tease her. She was relentless, making him moan in turn. He looked down at her curiously, feeling only slightly uncomfortable with meeting her smoldering eyes. She smiled up at him mischievously.

Suddenly she let him go and dropped her hands down on his thighs. She rubbed her hands up and down before sliding her hands up to the hem of his pants. She slid her finger tips underneath the hem of him, tugging as she moved both hands towards the center. Agonizingly slowly, she undid his belts and then his pants. His hands shook with the desire to rush hers. 'Mine... If I'm stuck in this world... mine...'

Her hands teased around the hem of his boxers before slipping down to the center of them and pulling out his cock. She took him in her right hand rubbed the tip. Then dropped her hand on him. After a confusing pause, she stretched her upper body up, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and pulled him down over her; kissing him deeply. Her now rough hands yanked his pants and boxers down his thighs, hurting him a little bit. Once she reached that point, he readily jumped to help her pull both off at once. Once he was nude before her, he moved to lay down on his back, but he froze when her hand wrapped around his cock firmly. He felt annoyed with her hand refusing to let him go. She used her grip and pulled him over top of her. He felt uncomfortable straddling her mouth, until she pulled him into her mouth and sucked on him. One of her hands held the base of the cock, and the other gripped the base of his hip; holding tight enough as if warning him to not thrust. He shook as she sucked him off. His hands gripped hard on her bed frame, digging his nails into the back of it. She made him give a guttural moan as he came in her mouth. She slides her mouth off of him, licking her lips, looking very satisfied with herself. 'As long I'm in this world... mine...'

Hiei shook as he allowed himself to collapse next to Nishi. He groaned, wanting to stay to still a little while longer. She was on the move as she pushed him down on his back and then straddled his waist. Her lips danced around his neck while he struggled recover fast enough from his orgasm to have his turn with her. With difficulty, he clumsily tugged off her shirt with her assistance.

Feeling recovered enough, he gripped her shoulders hard and half rolled, half shoved her onto her back. He tugged her pants and panties off in one go. She raised herself up on elbows and looked down at him with a daring, smoldering look. He gave her a wicked grin before diving down to her center. His hands pulled the tops of her folds out of the way. He went after her clit slowly at first, gauging how sensitive she was after all this time. Her breath shook as he teased. Curious at how she would react, he bit her. She cried out and squirmed in response. He kept his teeth on her as she kept going. She seemed to actually enjoy it like a demoness would...

When her legs started try to press together, he took his mouth off of her. She whined under her breath, pouting down at him. He felt annoyed with her for making that face. He moved his hands mouth down on her, sliding his tongue down inside of her while using his elbows to keep her legs apart. She started to buck her hips, so he held them down. Because she had pouted earlier, he stopped, a punishment for it.

And like a forgetful fool, she pouted down at him as she begged, "oh, please."

He shook his head slightly at her as he brought the tips of his first two fingers against her stiff clit. When her legs tensed up, he took his fingers away just like he had with her tongue. Her pout was darkened with frustration. "Please," she said clearly, daring to look at his face. "Please..." she said quieter.

He slid one finger inside of her, keeping his finger low so she could not enjoy it too much. She bent her hips down, as if trying to keep to get his finger where she would prefer it rubbed. How bold of her. He slid a second finger inside of her, teasing as low as possible. She brought her head back down on to her pillow and her hands down on her mouth. She was still unable to hold back her voice this time.

When he slid a third finger inside of her, she started to beg louder and kicked at him in frustration. "Please, oh, Hiei, please." She scowled at him, kicking his leg one more time as she whined, "please..."

He smiled up at her wickedly, amused by her sudden fiestiness. If she wanted it, she was going to get it, but on his terms. With speed, he shoved his cock inside of her, taking only three thrusts to make her scream in pleasure. It such a wonderful sound to hear that he laughed down at her as she laid writhing beneath him. He took her face in his hands as she arched her neck up. Her mouth was wide open and her eyes were shut tight.

"Like that Nishi?" he teased over the high pitched sounds she was making. Even though she just came, her muscles seized up around him. Bar the first time he bedded her, he could not remember a time when she was so tight. 'Mine,' he nearly whispered. 'Only mine.' He let her face go, arched his back up, grabbed her legs, pulled them over his shoulders, and thrusted deeply inside of her. Her tightness doubled and she screamed loudly. She tried to pull her thighs closer and arched her lower back. "Hold back," he growled down at her, wanting to make her wait to come with him. With how tight she was and how hard he was thrusting, it would not take very long.

She quivered beneath him, un-arching her back and neck. She looked up at him and whined, "why?" She was physically struggling to obey him.

She was going to obey him as long as she could. She could do it for another minute or two. "Because I said so," he stated simply. He was getting closer as he pushed his body down on top of hers. She gave another enjoyable scream as she held herself back from the pleasure threatening to crash over her. Whether out of frustration or distraction, she did something unexpected; she bit him on his shoulder. He hummed without words at the feeling of her dull teeth digging into his flesh. He wondered if she could possible have a bit of demon in her after all. It seemed even more likely as she brought her hands to his back and raked her nails across his skin. He felt like she nearly made him bleed. He was so close.

He felt disappointed with her when she took her mouth off of his shoulder. "Please, I can't..." she tried to make excuses. Annoyed with her that she wanted to give up with him so close, he awkwardly reached his hand down to her clit while still trying to keep up his hard and fast pace. She threw her head back and let loose another deafening scream. Her body was so tense as she desperately clung to his back.

When he felt himself on the verge, he took his hand off of her clit and wrapped his hands on the undersides of her shoulders. "Come for me," he hissed out.

"Hiei!" she screamed as she let her body have the orgasm it wanted while he came inside of her.

She was so tense even after he recovered that he had to pry her hands and legs off of him. She lay beneath him, skin flushed, panting, and cooing. Her eyes where barely open, but she was looking off to the side of the bed. She closed her eyes with the softest sigh.

"I like you being obedient," he confessed just before giving her a kiss on her slightly parted lips. Looking down at her, he could tell that if she was not asleep yet, she would be soon. He pulled her blanket over the two of them and laid his head down on the top of her breast, kissing it. He let the sounds of her beating heart lull him to sleep. One last thought came to his mind before he slipped into unconsciousness. 'Mine.'

In his sleep a dream came to him unbidden. A dream about Nishi. They were in a forest, rain drenching them and everything around them. She was on her knees before him, arms crossed over her chest, upper back hunched over. She was clutching something he could not see desperately to her chest. She wore only just a simple white frock that was ragged, filthy and torn. Her hair was wild and disheveled. Her eyes were closed and she was crying. "Don't!" she pleaded.

Ruthlessly, he slipped his sword out of its sheath, grabbed her by her shoulder, and stabbed her torso underneath her crossed arms.


	48. Chapter 48

"Those bastards... Everyone, out!" Mukuro ordered to her council members, her rage building. She stood at the head of the council table, hands clenching down on the wooden table. The lot of them could not get out fast enough. No one wanted to be stuck in a room with her when she released her anger. "Not you, Yasha!" Yasha stopped in the doorway, right hand shooting out to grip the door frame harshly. The men behind him piled up, not daring to shove him out of the way in the presence of Mukuro.

Yasha turned around, pushing himself out of the doorway and stepped to the right of it. The men behind him shoved each other in their mad dash. Yasha shut the door behind them and then turn around calmly to look upon the raging woman. "My lord?" he asked, walking back over to the table and sitting down at his seat to the right of Mukuro. He reached over to the bottle of wine on the table, poured a glass, and sipped from it.

"I want your brother in law!" Mukuro snapped at him.

Yasha took another sip from the wine, too sour for his taste. He swirled the cup around, looking at it splash along the inner rim of the cup. "My sister's pregnant and struggling to keep this one. My nephew's too young. He'll never leave them."

"Raizen has his descendant returning any day and Yomi is a hair's breadth away from getting his old friend back by his side. If those two are amassing allies, then I need to too. Tell your brother in law to get here by tomorrow morning if he wants to live." She clenched and unclenched her left hand.

Yasha sighed, moved the cup from his right hand to his left hand, and started pulling at the glove on his right hand with his teeth. Mukuro scowled down at him. He stopped pulling on his glove when she grumbled something unintelligible under her breath. He looked at her and shook his head. He took his teeth off of his glove. "He said no. You'll have to find someone else." Yasha brought the cup to lips, but before he could taste it, Mukuro reached over and ripped the cup from his hands, smashing it down on the floor with a reverberating crash. The wine might not have been that good, but that was certainly wasteful. Yasha reached around her and took her cup, filled it with some more wine, and drank deeply from the cup. "We both know you have Plan Bs lined up. If you wanted me to assist you in deciding between them, all you have to do is ask." Yasha finished the cup, and refilled it, settling in for the long process of debating with her over her most important decisions. He just had to tell her to make him a trusted adviser. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it meant being the one of the only ones who had to deal with her when she was at her worst. At least she would not hurt him. "How many you got?"

"17," she responded.

"Fuck me," he swore at her. "If any of them are Hayato, you'll have to strike them off your list here and now."

"13," she grumbled. "What good is taken over a warrior clan if I can't have any of them fight for me?"

"You signed the treaty with Minha. I'm here to hold you to it."

As she tapped on the table, a control panel popped up. While she hit buttons that brought up a large monitor over the table, Yasha settled himself in for the long haul. He scooted his chair back, and brought the bottom of his foot against the table. He drained the cup of wine, and then took time to admire the cup in his hands. Not even Kirin, her second in command, could so brazenly touch and use her own cup. Yasha put his foot down off of the table and reached over for the bottle of wine, but froze when he saw the image on the other side of the table before him. He carefully set her cup down on the table lest he drop it and break it.

"Not counting tow of the Hayato warriors, this one is the strongest," Mukuro began. "A fire demon and a thief currently paroled in the Human World after robbing the prince of the Spirit World. Desperate to get back to the Demon World." Yasha swallowed thickly at the rapid moving images of the thief who had robbed both his sister and him so long ago. The one that Minha had cursed after he had threatened to kill them both. "The only problem," Mukuro hissed, tapping another button on her control panel, "is that," she spat. The new image showed the thief down on one knee on a tiled floor, half way holding up a black haired, brown eyed, young, female human in his arms. The young woman turned her face away from the thief's, but he grabbed her, and pulled her mouth up to his. The image froze on the kiss. "Hucking."

Yasha tapped his foot impatiently, thinking fast about the curse Minha had given this thief; to be loved by a woman he does not deserve. Was this it? Was that human the manifestation of the curse? "One kiss doesn't make him a hucker," Yasha scoffed. "She doesn't even look like she wants that kiss."

Mukuro tapped more of the keys. Rapid images popped up; the demon standing behind her as she sat on a chair; a very nervous looking human on her hands and knees with the demon standing up behind her; the two of them sparring near a hillside; and finally an image of the two of cuddling on a small bed where the human had the softest, sweetest smile on her face. With each passing image, it seemed more and more likely that she was the one from the curse.

"That looks like hucking," Mukuro commented. "I need someone strong, but if I take in a hucker, eh," she scowled, frustrated. "The next one-" she began, reaching to hit another key.

"Stop," Yasha said, raising his hand in the air. Minha's curse had been fulfilled in such a twisted way. A human ended up falling in love with him. The very idea was laughable. A demon who took a human to bed. "After being stuck in the Human World as long as he has been, it shouldn't be too surprising," Yasha struggled to finish speaking as laughter crept into his voice. He coughed to clear his throat, noticing Mukuro was not nearly as amused. "A man has urges. And she doesn't exactly look like a delicate little flower. After all, there was an image of the two of them sparring. Do you think any little human could do that?" Mukuro kept silent, waiting for him to continue patiently. She waited a long time as he thought. If this human was indeed the woman from the curse, nothing would be a sweeter revenge for being robbed all those years ago than to take him away from her. He looked up at her with a vicious smile dancing on his lips. "You would invite him in an instant if it weren't for the hucking?"

"If I can't have your brother in law, then yes," Mukuro conceded.

Yasha brought his knuckles to his lips, trying not to laugh out loud, knowing Mukuro would not like it. "Great Mother, this is perfect," he wheezed out, struggling to keep himself contained. He gave a hearty sigh. "Send him a message. Tell him he can come back home, which is what he is so desperate for, but in order to keep the invitation, he must never speak to or touch her for the rest of his life. Tell him if he does, you'll make sure he spends the rest of his life rotting away in the Human World. Make him chose between his world or the human who loves him."

Mukuro frowned at him, cocking her head. Yasha raised his hands in the air, proud smirk stuck on his lips. "Are all the little birds so vindictive over being robbed or just you?"

"I think you've known me long enough to know the answer to that question," he teased back. "Now," he said, jumping up from his chair.

"Where are you going?" Mukuro asked him, clearly annoyed at him for standing up unbidden. "There are still 12 more demons on my list."

"Ugh, for fuck sake, pick the hucker and screw him over. Fuck the other 12 on the list." Yasha, pushed his chair in and stretched out his arms. Shifting on his feet, he started to reject all that wine he drank. He waited impatiently for her to tell him he could leave. She looked unwilling to do so. "If would kindly excuse me, my lord, I need to take-"

"We look at the next 12 first before I decide."

"If you want to have that argument, drag Kirin back in here. He'd love this more than me. That sycophant would like your boots clean and then praise you for the honor."

"Go get him and bring him back here then. The three of us will decide between the 13," she ordered.

He shoved the chair and turned for the door. "Thorough bitch," he muttered under his breath.

After a quick diversion, he found Kirin and brought him to the council room with him. After six grueling hours of arguments, the three of them finally agreed to invite the hucker. Kirin was able to sway Mukuro more than Yasha had towards taking the theif; arguing that taking the friend and alley of Raizen's descendant would deter them from attacking her territory. With both of them advising her to pick the thief, Mukuro decided to chose him. Yasha was glad it at least meant he got his way without telling people what to do.


	49. Chapter 49

Hiei read the letter from Lord Mukuro over for a fourth time; an invitation to go home, with the sanction of the Spirit World king, indefinitely, but with the cost that he could never touch or speak to Nishi again. Turn down this offer, and he would be trapped in the Human World indefinitely. It was like Lord Mukuro had intentionally set him up to fail. The price was high, maybe too high. He had only left her asleep in her bedroom hours before. Could he really abandon her like that so suddenly and with no explanation? She would never do that if the reverse offer was made to her.

He was shocked out his thoughts by the fox before he had time to process the information. 'Hiei, we need you now. At Yusuke's apartment. Nanashi's been taken.'

Hiei did as bid, using Nishi's window as a means of entry without even thinking about it. He smelled one, no two foreign smells in the room. He paused long enough to pick up a scent of the Demon World intermixed with the two other scents. On the floor laid an empty glass, the carpet around it was still slightly damp. There were no signs of fighting or struggle in the tiny room. He went to open the door, wondering why it had been closed if she had been taken, but stopped when he recalled why it had been closed. He remembered guiltily the ward he had set on the door; no one would hear anything if the door was closed. It had only been meant to keep his time with her unknown. Now it could have also meant that no one heard her screams for help. He looked back at her open window where he had roasted the seeds the fox planted for her protection. He was supposed to be watching over her as agreed with the prince, but she was taken when he was not looking. He left the opportunity for her to be kidnapped wide open.

He heard arguing in the kitchen. He opened the door. The arguing, which had been between the prince, the detective, the oaf, and the fox stopped abruptly. The fox shoved passed him, followed closely behind by the detective, then the prince, and lastly the oaf. The room was crowded with all five of them in there. The glass on the floor was hit by the opening of the door and spun away.

"Don't touch anything," the fox ordered harshly when he saw the oaf looming too close to her unfinished school work on her desk. The fox scanned the room, smelling the air. He looked slightly more relaxed. He tried to move towards the door, but the detective stood in his way, looking around the room himself. "Everyone out the room," he requested with a soft voice. The three other men did as they were bid. Hiei followed them out reluctantly. "Give me some time in the room by myself please."

Hiei shifted on his feet, feeling like the only reason he was bid to come was to open the very door he warded.

"What happened?" Hiei asked the fox, standing in the doorway of Nishi's bedroom. The fox only gave him a quick, icy stare in return, before kneeling down where the floor was wet, touching it softly with his fingertips.

"Where were you?!" the prince rounded on Hiei, stealing away his attention on the fox. Having the toddler sized prince shouting at him was more intimidating than it was shameful. "You agreed to watch over her! If you think I'm going to send you back to the Demon World after this, you've got another thing coming!"

"Who took her?" Hiei asked as calm as he could with his own mounting anger. Only one person in the room knew about what he did with her often, so he needed to keep from appearing too attached to her. Unless the SDF hired demons from straight the Demon World, this was not them.

"Yomi," the fox answered from the bedroom doorway.

Hiei frowned over at him, vaguely recalling that that was the name of another rival Demon World king. "Why would Yomi want her?"

"Yeah, what gives Kurama?" the detective butted in. "You never explained why that guy took her?"

Kurama shifted his eyes left. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to find where the portal they took her through is." Kurama stood up in the doorway, pulling the door back towards him, spinning an explanatory monologue. "She came into the room," he reached behind the door to touch the handle of the door inside her bedroom. "She pushed the door shut. The smell of the two demons who took her only lingers on this side of the door, meaning they never entered anywhere else in the apartment." His foot tapped on the wet spot on the ground. "If she filled up the glass fully, but did not drink anything from it, then based on how wet the floor still is, she was taken a little over three hours ago."

The fox started to back track from the doorway, but the oaf interrupted him. "Three hours?!" he in turn rounded on the detective, grabbing him by the shirt and shaking him. "Three hours is a long time. Why did it take you so long to sound the alarm?! She could be long dead by now for all we know!"

The detective shoved the oaf away. "I was asleep on the couch. I didn't actually know what happened until Kurama barreled down the door. He's the one who told me she was kidnapped."

"How did you know that first?" the oaf asked the fox in turn.

The fox's nose twitched, outright annoyed. "He sent me a letter." Before anyone else could interrupt him anymore, he rushed out, "she didn't fight them, for whatever reason." He backed up the handful of steps to the window, bending down to touch the floor as he did so. "They dragged her... heels across the floor, until they reached the window. They must have knocked her out... They took her out the window, and that's where I loose the scent," he breathed out with frustration. "Hiei, you need to track them from here, using one of their energy trails," he said, pointing towards the open window. "You're the best chance to find out where they went. I- we need to find the portal they went through," the fox was on the verge of pleading, an antsy air around him. His eyes continued to plead while his mouth stayed silent.

Hiei stepped into the room, brushed passed the fox, and rest his palms at the bottom of the window sill. He should have never destroyed the fox's seeds. He removed his head band and closed his eyes. He could not pick up on any of the energy the demons carried as they were too unfamiliar to him, but he could on Nishi's, but just barely. Three blocks south, her energy signal took a sharp turn left, blinded from him after that. Hiei slipped out of the window and jumped, landing softly on the soles of his feet before doing a tuck and roll to dispense the energy from the fall.

"Hey!" he heard a shout from above from the detective. "Some of us can't just jump out a window like a boss you know!"

Hiei looked up towards Nishi's window. "Grab on," he heard the fox order, summoning up his rose whip. Using that, he carried all four of them down towards the ground to join Hiei. Hiei could sense that they were going to slow him down tremendously.

Worried the trail would grow cold, he took off at his out lightening fast pace, not caring as they shouted after him. Each turn he took in his hunt, he left a scorch mark on the ground in the form of an arrow so they could follow behind him. He redoubled his sprint after each mark, worrying more and more that her energy signal would grow too faint to find the next one. It was a small mercy that the trail stayed with the city's boundaries, otherwise he would have to abandon the search mid way. He tried not to think about why she might have been taken, what might happen if he found her alive, what might happen if he found her injured, and worst of all, what might happen if he found her dead. How he would react when he saw her? How she would react when she saw him? He still had not decided if he was going to accept Mukuro's offer or not. Had not even had time to think about it. This took precedence.

He reached a hiking area in the southern part of the city, sprinting down an abandoned path. He slid down a sharp drop off a hillside and saw a large set of exposed roots underneath a massive, looming tree. The space between the roots was big enough for someone the oaf's size to stand underneath comfortably. Nishi's energy and smell were there, as was the smell of her two captors. He ran straight at the biggest gap between the roots, and felt like he had slammed against a brick wall. He was half repelled, half thrown backwards into a nearby tree. He stood up stubbornly and charged it again, sword out. The entrance had an invisible barrier that all he could do was clang his sword on. He moved around the roots and even up the tree, trying to find another way under the roots. He could not find any other energy signals anywhere. She had been taken underneath there, no doubt about it. But he could not get under there himself. A half hour of trying, and it was fruitless.

He heard the fox arrive behind him next with the detective not far behind. The oaf came next a minute later, carrying the prince on his shoulders.

"Hiei, you've got to be part blood hound," the detective panted. "Where were you when Kuwabara was taken by Sensui? We would have found him in less than an hour."

"Hn," Hiei sneared back. "He's still not strong enough to give off an energy signal I can track." He paused after spoke, focusing on his fourth word. He was snapped out his thoughts by the oaf barreling down the hillside.

"Did we find her? Where is she?" the oaf asked, panting. The prince slid off his shoulders with grace.

"No," the fox answered before Hiei could throw out an insult. "But Hiei found the portal to the Demon World where Yomi's men took her."

Hiei stared him, agape. A human in the Demon World unprotected, even with one battle hardened like her, would not survive for long.

The other three men vocalized their own shock at the fox's statement until the fox shouted them down to be quiet. "Yomi took her to draw me to him. He wants me on his side as the conflict between the three Demon World kings is escalating. I've ignored his messengers, slaying the ones who threatened me or anyone else I cared about." The fox turned his narrow eyed gaze right on Hiei. "He took Nanashi because he knew I care about her, but I had left her unguarded," he growled out. Hiei thought back to the seeds he roasted in her window sill. He dug in his pants pocket and pulled out a set of folded papers. He threw the papers down on the ground. "There's his last letter to me, explaining why he took her and promising her safety while he holds her captive. The portal under these tree roots is warded so the only one of us who can pass through it is me," the fox bit his own lip before continuing to speak. His eyes cast a guilty look once more. "Attached is something she has written; something that is vastly over exaggerated. Don't... don't take it at face value."

The fox turned towards the roots, but stopped as the detective spoke, "Kurama, bring her back. Alive and unharmed." The fox turned his head towards the detective's voice and nodded at the statement the detective spoke for everyone standing there. "Meet us at Genkai's."

The fox nodded a second time before walking straight under the roots and disappearing in a glimmer. Hiei watched him go with his own bit of jealousy rising at how easily he got to just waltz back into the Demon World.

The prince picked up the letter first and began reading it, swearing under his breath. The detective knelt down behind him and read the letter over his shoulder. the oaf copied the same move over the prince's other shoulder. "So Kurama got an offer to go back to the Demon World as well?" the detective commented.

"He wasn't planning to take it," the prince commented. "He'd rather stay in the Human World with his human mother. Yomi is his old friend from back when he was a demon." The three of them kept reading the letters. Hiei felt the temptation the yank the letter away from them so he could read it himself, but he waited impatiently for his own turn.

They continued reading at their slow pace, until the detective burst out, "whoa! I can't believe she's that obsessive. Did she really write this?"

"It came from her emails," the prince pointed out. "So unless you or your mother or someone else hacked her emails and wrote all this about Kurama." Hiei's ears perked up about the mentioning of 'obsessive' and 'Kurama'. "But I do agree, it does read as a fair bit over the top for her."

The three men finished the letters after that. Hiei stepped over and pulled the letters from the hands of the prince and then stepped away from them. He skimmed the letter written to the fox, inviting him to visit for a fourth time to the Demon World to join Yomi's side in the escalating three kings conflict. Saying this time to ensure the fox gave him his answer, that he took someone who loves the fox very much, but was left unguarded by him.

Hiei flipped to the next page, seeing a typed letter addressed to an 'Umi.' Hiei recalled that was the name of Nishi's friend in her old city. She had said that name so often when they spoke in her dreams, that it would have been impossible to forget it. He kept reading, dreading each word he continued to read:

"...Suichi is just simply amazing. I couldn't ask for anyone better to be my boyfriend. He's so tall and fit. Add that with his vibrant red hair and emerald green eyes, he's by far the most handsome boy in school. All the girls in school are jealous of me whenever they see the two of us together in class or at lunch, or spending time together every Saturday morning. He's so easy to talk to, so open about the way he feels and thinks, but accepting and gracious of other people's opinions. He's also the smartest one in our class. He helps me study and to do my homework sometimes. He's perfect in every way. I swear to you I have fallen unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him..."

The letter continued going, but Hiei stopped reading at the 'in love with him' line. Did she mean it? She had to have meant it, otherwise she would not have written it, especially to her friend... Would she have turned around and lied so to her old friend. The fox did not want her like that, but she wanted the fox. How could he have been so blind to it? He thought about how easily the fox and Nishi were when they spoke, when they trained, when they were in each other's company, even when they were in bed together just that one night with him. They looked natural together. The way she kissed had kissed him... It was the fox she truly desired, not him. She had settled for him when it became apparent that the fox did not return her affection. It was all so clear. He could not fathom how he could have been blinded from it for so long.

Hiei dropped the letters and took off, the detective's calls for him to come back fell on deaf ears. He dug the letter from Mukuro out of his own pocket, and sent his acceptance off to her. The cost of losing that girl was no cost at all. If she wanted the fox, then she could be his.

The response came back before he could get himself to the old woman's land. He would get to leave within a fortnight. To go home. Home...

When he got to the old woman's lands, he kept his distance from the others, waiting for the fox and that liar to return. To see clearly the truth she had been hiding from him for so long. He should have never climbed back into her bed.

They returned through a sanctioned portal on the old woman's land. Hiei felt his blood boil when he watched the two of them return hand in hand, the fox taking the lead. From a distance, she looked completely unharmed. Once they were through the portal, the fox pulled her in close to him, hand under her chin, pulling her face upwards. It looked all too true. Instead of kissing her like it looked like he would, the fox moved her chin about with one hand her hair with the other so to look over her face, head, and neck. He dropped his holds on her chin and her hair and moved them down to the long sleeves of her shirt, pushing them up as far as they would go in turn, checking over her hands, wrists, forearms, and elbows. He patted her upper arms and shoulders down next. She stood there, stock still and head down as she let him check her over so openly and intimately for injuries.

As he started to run his hands over her waist, her demeanor changed. "Stop," she ordered, stepping uncomfortably away from the fox. The fox dropped his hands down to his sides. "He told you I was unharmed. I told I was unharmed-" she was cut off by the fox suddenly pulling her in close for a hug. He seemed to whisper something privately into her ear. She pushed him away, looking annoyed and embarrassed.

She looked over at the others standing there, swallowing thickly. Her eyes came to rest on Hiei's own face, looking at him longingly. Her mouth was slightly parted, twisted into a hint of suppressed smile. He realized in that moment she had no romantic feelings towards the fox at all. She had outright lied to her friend and he had believed her. But why pick the fox to lie about? Worse than her secretly wanting the fox was that she would rather lie to her friend about who she was with than write about him instead, lie about him instead. She could have lied and said he was a human, went to her school or something. That would have been forgivable, understandable, not nearly as shameful as the truth now stood. Now it was worse. She must have kept him secret out of some kind of shame.

Later, when everything was explained and all out in the open, about how Hiei, the fox, and the detective would all three be going to the Demon World soon, the fox sought him out and found him in the Western woods on the old woman's territory.

"Hiei?" the fox asked in a weary voice. "Your leaving too?"

Hiei simply nodded in return. After a brief bit of hesitation, he dug into his pocket and pulled the now crumpled up invitation from Mukuro and toss it at the fox. It did not matter how the fox reacted, because he would be leaving no matter what since there was now nothing to tie him to the Human World beyond the prince's implemented parole.

The fox looked from the letter, crumpling it more in his fist. He heaved a sigh that sounded as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "You can't possibly have accepted that condition..." the fox gruffed. "She..." One look at Hiei's blank face showed it true. The fox did not fight, did not want to argue even. Exhaustion creeping into his voice. "You should have told me before accepting. I could have done something... You had made a deal with Koenma... I know you want desperately to go home, but going off to fight for a stranger... And one that asks for such a... a..." the fox's voice petered out and rubbed his eyes with one had. A terse yawn escaped his mouth.

"What does it matter?" Hiei retorted. "She's unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you," he added in sarcastically.

The fox groaned, "you know that isn't true. She lied. Horribly, but she lied. She had a moment of vanity and wanted to impress her friend who likely would never had learned the truth."

"Then why lie about you?" Hiei's voice bit out.

The fox shook his head and leaned his back on a nearby tree. "She just... did... Maybe she wanted to avoid using your name. In case someone else, like Yusuke saw it or... something."

"Or maybe she wants a human, but couldn't get one to settle for her. Not much of a looker, is she? So she settled something outside of her race," he rationalized.

"That's not true and you know that's not true," the fox nearly yelled. "I- I can't," he turned and started stalking away. "Rationalize this mess on your own."


	50. Chapter 50

"You need to have a bit more control over your subconscious," Mukuro commented over to Hiei. Both were in presence chamber, meeting privately.

Over seven months had passed. Hiei felt as if it would have been preferable to meet her in her bedroom instead. What made it awkward was she had known about the budding attraction because she was telepathic as well. More powerful and with better control than himself even. She could enter the mind of anyone over several hundred miles, whether she knew them or not.

His mind drifted back to a month ago, after he had been healed and recovered. She meet him privately in the same room. He recalled how she had removed her shirt, revealing her scars and burns underneath her own, thin strapped, undershirt. He had not flinched at the sight of what he could see of her body. She was a strong, true demoness; the scars did not matter. Not to mention how politically powerful she was in the Demon World. A desirable option for a mate for just about anyone. More desirable than a human was when comparing strengths and weaknesses. In that meeting, she had revealed about her unfair mate claiming and how when she had burned herself, she intentionally removed her three scars. Once revealed, she slid her shirt back on.

In the end of the conversation, as she gave him a promise, speaking gently as he felt his own fury threatening to overwhelm him at the unfairness of it all. "You aren't the first, and if I maintain my power, you won't be the last," she clued him in. "Very few ever get to know the reason why." She had looked at him then, ordering him to meet her eyes. "You were in the Human World fair to long, going astray with what you know is acceptable and unacceptable." She had paused, forcing him to hold her gaze. "Humans have this unbelievable belief that no one can be whole without a partner in life. That you need to hunt down a soul mate, a better half." He twitched to turn his head away, but she ordered, "Look at me." He kept his eyes on hers, struggling with the uncomfortableness of holding her gaze for so long. "You need to get that notion out of your head. You're not a half, you're a whole. Be whole. Stay whole." She let her arms down at her side, palms turned to face him. "Stay here, with me. As a member of my guard and council, and when the Demon King conflict is over, if you still desire a mate, I can help you find one worthy of you. A demon worth of you. If you want a woman, a warrior clan I took over years would have what you are looking for. If you want a man, we'd need to look elsewhere."

The conversation had dropped after that, with himself feeling unsure about her almost pitying offer.

"... are you even listening to me?" Mukuro bit back her tone to him the best she could. He looked at her, wanting to roll his eyes in response, but resisted the temptation. "Or do you have trouble keeping even your conscious focused?"

"How do you expect me to control what I dream?" he countered, lacking the desire to slide into any argument.

"Learn. Keep your mind focused on growing stronger. Even when asleep. Don't let it drift back to... her," Mukuro clenched her jaw at the last word she spoke. Hiei ignored that, feeling annoyed at being scolded over something he could not control. "At least dream about mate claiming a demon."

Before Hiei could even rebuttal, the door opened and was shut abruptly by a tall, dark, and long haired male demon who looked shaken up. "Y-," Mukuro started, but bit her tongue. "What are you doing in here?" she hissed at the demon in front of the door. "You know not to disturb any of my meetings." She looked uncomfortable and angry with the stranger in the room, but made no move to remove him from their presence. It seemed uncharacteristic of her.

The demon made no move to leave, hanging his head in sorrow. His black hair hung down over his face, obscuring it. "I need to go home," he said in a melancholy voice.

Mukuro glanced over at Hiei, clearly uncomfortable about having both of them in the room, but could not figure out which one to ask to leave. "You can't go back. You're exiled, remember?" she spoke evenly to the new man. She stepped closer to him, cautiously and carefully, like she would with a feral beast.

The demon still had not looked up as he spoke softly, "I've been invited back for a visit. My sister is unwell. She-" his voice cracked and he shook his head. "Her mate told me she's been asking for me."

Mukuro had reached him now. The height difference between the two was noticeable. He was a head taller than her. She had placed her right hand on his left shoulder, pushing gently to guide him side ways away from the door. "We'll discuss this later," she told him, voice slightly shaking as she turned him side ways, she slowly reached her left hand reached over for the door handle. His reaction was unexpected. He reached both of his hands suddenly onto her left forearm, pushing her sleeve up before holding onto her with a death grip. Mukuro went rigid at his touch. "Later," she promised tensely, eyeing his hands on her arm. From his vantage point, Hiei could see the demon's fingernails went white with his grip.

"Now," he hissed out, dropping his hand from her forearm, and stepping away. "My sister has asked for me. Her mate has sanctioned my visit. I'm going." He looked up and stared passed Mukuro towards Hiei. "Is that the one we picked?" He gave a dark, twisted smirk. "At least I did something right," he whispered a little to loudly. He gave Mukuro a sideways glance, still wearing that disturbing smirk. "He comes with me."

"No-"

"As a body guard," he countered too loudly, with a hint of sarcasm. "Someone to protect me in your stead. Unless you want to come with me? See all those warriors you subjugated? The ones whose female leader you insulted?"

Mukuro shook her head, "take someone else- take Kirin. Someone who knows you." She carried herself uncharacteristically uncomfortably.

The demon held his hands up at Mukuro, making her scowl. Hiei felt like he had seen enough between the two of them. He stepped over in between them, moving to shove the demon away, only to feel a crushing hand come around the back of his neck.

"Don't touch him," Mukuro ordered, hand growing tighter. "Ever."

"So protectiveness can come naturally to you after all?" the demon snidded. Mukuro dropped her hand on Hiei's neck and pushed him away from the two of them. "With the one your trying to prevent mooning over you? Does he know?"

Hiei's hand twitched down to his sword, but before he could reach it, he shoved by Mukuro against the wall, forearm holding him in place by the neck. He looked up at her surprised by her reactions to protect this insulting stranger.

Mukuro stared at him hard, staring at him in a way to suggest that there was more to what she was saying than met the eye. "I won't tell you why, but don't you dare touch him." Mukuro turned her hard stare over to the demon giving orders. "If you want to take him with you, then don't you dare touch him either." Mukuro let her hold on him go.

"You'll give him up to me willingly?" the demon countered. "In that case hucker, we should get going," the demon teased. "We have a lot of distance to cover." He held his right hand, as if for a handshake, "I'm Yasha by the way stranger." Yasha turned to Mukuro. "Can we leave in twenty minutes?"

"You can wait until morning," Mukuro responded evenly. He shook her head. Mukuro gave Hiei a warning look, like she wanted to speak, but could not form the words. Mukuro scratched her forehead suggestively before cracking two of the knuckles of her left hand. "Go to your room and pack. Be careful and keep a watch on Yasha on this trip," she told him, voicing straining to hint at something more.

Hiei did as he was told. The second he was alone in his room, he read Mukuro's mind first and then read the stranger's mind next, seeing both sides of the twisted story and a warning about what Mukuro would have to do if Yasha was harmed.


	51. Chapter 51

It did not take long for either demon to get ready. Hiei met the stranger demon outside along with Mukuro. Once with a mental link, Mukuro was able to reveal about the stranger and their connection without telling him anything; which did not defy the stranger's orders. He learned too Mukuro would be forced to retaliate if the stranger was harmed. Anything he did to the stranger in retaliation for anything would bring Mukuro down on him, whether she wanted him to or not. All with just a touch of the hands. The ability to control another's will were terrifying.

More terrifying was the knowledge of the sister they were going to see. She could bless or curse anyone, and had done so to him years ago. 'Blessed to be loved by a woman he did not deserve,' and so the stranger convinced Mukuro to choose him to pull him away from the potential human from the curse.

Now he had to travel with this demon to his old home from which he was exiled for making a pass at another male demon at the behest of his sister's mate. Apparently their youngest child, an infant daughter, had passed away from from a sudden illness and in her grief, had beg to see her brother again.

Standing in the front of the castle, the stranger stood waiting patiently. He himself seemed agitated with an undertone of melancholy. Mukuro saw them with her own agitation over the situation. She did not want any of this to happen. She had loaned a large, demon animal that had the appearance of a millipede that she had tamed herself. At the fast speed at which it could move, they would need just over 24 hours to reach the Hayato territory.

Once they were underway, Hiei bidded his time, waiting until the stranger nodded off in the middle of the creature's back. Playing his cards right, he waited until the stranger rolled onto his back in his sleep. Careful not to touch the stranger's bare skin with his own hands, he knelt down and brought the point of his sword to rest at the tip of his throat. So long as he meant no harm to the stranger, Mukuro would not desire to retaliate.

The stranger choked, waking up and almost batted at the sword at his throat. He stopped when he saw what it was. "You can't harm me," the stranger gasped unevenly. "Mukuro will do to you whatever you do to me or worse."

"And why is that?" Hiei asked evenly, wanting to see what the stranger would say.

"Because I'm one of her trusted advisers and friend," the stranger countered. "Now would you please get your sword off my neck."

"Why? I'm not hurting you? Would she attack me for not attacking you?" Hiei countered.

"She won't like you threatening me," the stranger argued.

"What threat am I making?"

"A sword to the neck."

"So order me to."

The stranger's eyes went wide with panic. "She could not have told you about that..."

"Don't worry about how I know," he responded, keeping his abilities secret. "Worry about what I'll do to your sister to get her to lift her curse from me."

The stranger seemed rather annoyed. "How did she tell you anything? She can't speak about it." Hiei looked down at him, face showing hint of expression. "Fucking telepath. She told you in your sleep or something, didn't she? You've got to something special with her if she would risk telling you anything in anyway. Last person she told attacked me, so she had to put him down. I didn't think she'd risk that a second time."

"The next time you see her, you're letting her go."

The stranger just laughed the best he could in reaction. "Like I'm going to give that up. The minute I released her, I'm dead and my people are dead." Hiei felt his hand twitch with the desire to push the sword down an inch or two. Mukuro would not want him to risk it. He pulled his sword off of the stranger's neck.

"When we get there, your sister will lift the curse. Or I will make her childless. From what I know, she's lost one, but a son is still alive."

The stranger sat up and starting laughing boldly at the threat. "I want to be there when you try." He looked at him, entertained of all things from this situation. "See her mate put you in the ground. Then you'll really never see that human you can't stop dreaming about." Hiei gritted his teeth at the stranger's last sentence. "What's worse, the dreams where you kill her, the dreams where you watch her die, or the dreams where you claim her?" He laid back down on the demon animal's back, unafraid. "Must be frustrating that you can't touch me. And as for my sister's curse, irrevocable. If she could, she'd have taken the curse she put off her mate years ago."

"What curse did she put on him?" Hiei frowned down at the dozing demon.

The stranger sighed sleepily, "you should get some sleep. Won't take us too long to get there. I wonder how much she told you about my clan..." the stranger slipped off to sleep with incredible ease. No fear.

He slept the whole way there without any trouble. There was the temptation to kick him off the animal, but the risk was too great. Kill the stranger and lose everything he gained from Mukuro.

The stranger jumped awake when the animal stopped a few hundred yards away from a gated, city wall. The stranger sat up and stretched, joints popping. He absentmindedly cracked his left hand's knuckles in a similar to the way Mukuro would do it. "You didn't sleep at all?" he asked teasingly, slight smile on his face. "That's a bad habit," he commented before slipping down off the animal.

His hands slipped into his pockets as he strolled towards the gate, whistling under his breath. Hiei slipped off the animal as well, following the stranger wearily. The stranger reached the gate, standing in front of the high door patiently without even bothering to knock.

The door opened with a slow creak. "Lightning," a soft voice whispered beyond the door. All Hiei could see from the figure at the door was cold blue eyes.

The stranger half sang, "thunder."

The door opened half way, revealing a tall, stocky, blonde haired, blue eyed demoness. She stepped through, gesturing towards the stranger. "Come in Yasha. You expected at the Gunju's palace."

"As forward as ever Aiko," Yasha said with a smile, stepping through the doorway.

It seemed in that moment that the demoness noticed Hiei. "Wait, who's that?" she nodded down at Hiei, tensing up. A snarl came to up on her lips. When Yasha took another step, she grabbed his upper arm firmly.

Yasha shook his arm out from her grip. He looked back at both of them with a small smile. "You know, he never actually told me his name." He waltzed through the door without a backwards glance.

The demoness watched Yasha walk away, a confused, furious look on her face. She turned her steely gaze on Hiei. Her right hand slipped down to the dagger on her left hip. "Flash," she growled in a warning tone.

"What-?" Hiei started to ask, but stopped speaking abruptly as the demoness drew her dagger with her right hand and slammed her left palm on the ground. The ground shook all over, making standing precarious. The demoness next sliced her dagger through the air. Had he not jumped out of the way, the blade would have sliced across his throat. "Shit," he swore under his breath as she kept coming at him.

She kept near him at a much too close distance and moved faster than he anticipated. When he reached his hand down for his sword, she sliced her dagger across the length of his forearm deeply. She gave an arrogant smirk as he gnashed his teeth at the pain. She was distracted for a fraction of a second long enough for him to bring his left hand up to her right wrist, applying a crushing force to it. After two loud cracks came from her wrist, she dropped the dagger unwilling between the of them. He kept his hold on her wrist, refusing to let go. She had not even cried out or flinched at the pain yet.

Unexpectedly, she slammed her head into his, jarring his head backwards while wrenching her right arm back, pulling him closer to her. His ears rang as her left hand came around his throat. He dropped his grip on her right wrist and brought it up to her left one, squeezing it hard enough with the desire to break it too. She shoved him away, slipping her left wrist out of his grip. She dove for her dagger, taking just enough time for him to get his sword out. She jumped up at him from a crouching position, dagger ready to slice him across the middle, but he was able to parry with his sword. Their weapons crossed between them, neither willing to back down. Her left arm was visibly shaking while his stayed calm and still.

"Aiko!" came a deep, booming voice behind her. "Drop your weapon!" She hesitated, turning her head slightly to the left, but would not take her eyes off of Hiei. "Now!"

The demoness swore under her breath. She pulled her dagger away slowly, watching Hiei carefully as he kept his sword right where he had it. She set her dagger gently down on the ground, but still within reach should she need it a second time. When she moved to stand up, he brought his sword down to rest on the crook of her neck. He saw her hand twitch to grab her dagger, but she did not pick it up. She gave him a look that told him she was imagining just how she would kill him if the opportunity presented itself.

"Hiei, drop your weapon too," the voice ordered more calmly. Hiei glanced up and saw a taller, stockier, blonde male demon approaching the two of them. His hair was pulled back in a long, fish tail braid. He brought his gaze back down to rest on this Aiko, sword still on her neck. "You must have done something to piss off Yasha before you got here. Did he even bother to warn you about the guards posted at the gate? Or the challenge passwords we set up? He set you up to get attacked at the gate." The large demon had reached them and laid a firm, but cautious hand on Hiei's left forearm. "Let her go. She did what she was trained to do. We've got healers inside that can help that nasty slice she carved into your arm."

Something in what he said or how he said it put Hiei at ease enough to pull his sword off the demoness's neck. The large demon took his hand off of Hiei's arm and stepped away carefully. Next, Hiei sheathed his sword. The demoness stayed stock still, watching both men cautiously from her lower, crouched position. Once Hiei had his sword away, she sprang up at him, nails of her left hand aimed at his face. Before he could even think to react, the large demon shoved her down to the ground on her back.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" the large demon scolded the demoness on her back. "This demon came with Yasha. He is now my guest." The large demon turned his gaze down towards Hiei. "So long as he behaves himself."


	52. Chapter 52

Hiei followed behind the large demon, who had introduced himself as Hayate and in front of the demoness he called Aiko. The demoness followed him uncomfortably close, hand sliding down to her dagger when he glanced back at her. She had a glint in her eye that told him wordlessly how she would very much like to use it on him violently. The trio walked into the main gate and entered into a large than believable village. Other demons, men, women, and children, meandered about; going along with their daily lives. Many would look at the three of them, children rudest of all. They looked on curiously, intrigued at the sight. As they walked passed two small children, a blonde boy and a brown haired girl, just out of toddler-hood boldly laughed at the three of them. The boy was brave enough to run up and clasp Hiei's hand with both of his unexpectedly. The girl copied the same move, grabbing higher on his same hand. He shook his hand to get them to let go. He kept walking, hoping to give them the shake. It did not work as they followed behind him. Hayate chuckled under his breath at the sight, not bothering to stop them. Aiko's nose twitched in irritation.

"Hello!" the boy sing sang. The girl echoed the same.

"Stop," Aiko barked down at them.

The boy turned towards her and frowned. The girl started to whimper. The boy turned to the girl and hugged her. She discontinued her whimpering, choosing instead to stick her tongue out at Aiko boldly.

Hayate laughed a little louder as he bent down and picked the boy up and held him. The boy cuddled closer, hand tangled up in Hayate's hair. The boy looked like a miniature version of Hayate himself. Except for the eyes. Hayate had blue, but the boy had dark brown, almost black eyes. The girl jumped up and down by Hayate's feet, hoping to be picked up as well. Hayate bent down and up the other child as well with one arm. He gave a soft, but unhappy smile.

The sound of running came from behind them. Aiko tensed up first, hand on her dagger, but when she saw the older woman running towards them, she relaxed. "I'm so sorry my lord," the out of breath woman swore, right next to him. She put her hands on her thighs as she panted. "He moves fast and she follows him or anyone else for that matter that misbehaves."

Hayate shrugged the girl off to Chika's arms. "They're alright," he said to the older woman softly. Hayate turned his face to the boy who was playing with Hayate's hair, teasing stray hairs out of his braid. The boy let his hands dropped, pursing his lips. He looked nervous about getting in trouble. "Safe or unsafe?" Hayate whispered quietly to the boy.

The boy cocked his head to the right, humming under his breath. "Safe," he said with a nod. "Later."

Hayate gave Hiei a quick, side long glance. "Okay." To the boy he breathed, "Now, you should go back to with Chika. And don't run off again." The boy said something unintelligible under his breath and nodded. "Good." He set the boy back down on his feet.

The boy stepped over to Chika, taking a hold of her free hand on his own accord. Chika bowed her head and excused themselves. Chika escorted the two children away in a bit of a hurry.

Hayate continued walking, so Aiko moved to shove Hiei to follow with one hand, leaving the other hand on her dagger. He side stepped her touch, feigning revulsion at the idea of it. He followed after Hayate on into a smaller set of walls that housed a small, but imposing palace. An emblem of a fierce hawk ready to strike was carved into the woodwork of the main double doors. It could be imaginable to hear that creature hiss at its foes as it attacked. They walked into the palace.

Once in the entry way, the grandeur of all the decorations and the high vaulted ceilings was impressive, almost intimidating. Whoever lived here was impressively wealthy by demon status. Get passed all the warrior demons, and a thief could have lived handsomely the rest of his days.

"This way," the large demon said. "While Yasha is with my mate, I'll show you to your room that you'll be staying at during your stay. Set up will take a bit of time though, considering Yasha did not bother to tell us he was bringing a guard until he got here. You're room will be next to Yasha's. I hope the two of you aren't planning to share a room." Aiko's nose twitched as she shook her head in distaste.

At the mention of Yasha and his sister, Hiei remembered his anger with both of them, the mate most of all; that terrible curse she placed on him needed lifted. Everything else would have to wait. "Where is he?" Hiei asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Her private receiving rooms," the large demon told him without thinking about it.

Hiei closed his eyes, seeking out the stranger's energy in the building: one floor up and to the right. Hiei ducked around the larger demon with ease and sped off that way. He heard the two other demons shout after him as they followed him at their slower pace. He found the room with ease, knocking the locked door opened. He saw the two demons together on a small couch at the far end of the room. The smaller demon, the mate, was in crying audibly into the stranger's chest while he held her, hand rubbing the small of her back. He paused at the sight of the two of them.

The stranger's head snapped up and he pulled the mate protectively closer. "What are you doing here?" he nearly shouted apprehensively.

Hiei stepped over to where they sat, the stranger putting his hand up protectively. "You're the one who wanted me to come here. So if I have to be here, then she's going to lift her curse: now." The mate looked up at him from the stranger's arms, staring at him in wordless disbelief. She was certainly an ugly crier by the looks of her. She held his gaze almost hypnotically. By the sound of it, the large demon and the demoness had caught up and were in the room as well. "Why is he in here?" the stranger demanded harshly.

He heard rapid movement behind him. He turned around fast enough to catch Aiko's hand ready to drive her dagger down into his chest.

"Don't kill him!" a shrill voice came from behind him.

Aiko's nose twitched, but did not stay her hand. She still seemed intent on killing him. Hayate came up from behind Aiko and yanked her out of Hiei's grip. Without missing a beat, Hayate rounded on Hiei, striking him with the outside of his hand on the side of his neck with an insane amount of force. The pain was sickening as he felt himself crumple down to the ground, fighting to stay conscious. The last thing he remembered hearing was an ear splitting screech.

When Hiei came to, he felt a dull ache in his shoulders and the left side of his neck. He blinked his eyes open, seeing the floor beneath him and noticing his lower legs were bound to a chair's front legs. He raised his stiff neck up, leaning back into the wooden chair he was bound. His sword was no where to be seen. He injured forearm still felt sticky from the knife wound the demoness had given him earlier. His hands were bound behind his back. As he shifted his wrists and hands to test the bonds, he heard the sounds of metal clinking against metal. He looked straight ahead, seeing the large demon sitting in his own chair right across of him, right leg crossed over his left and both arms crossed over his chest. The scowl he wore would have the detective's a run for his money. Both the stranger and the demoness stood up next to him, on either side of him. The stranger looked an odd mix of uncomfortable yet smug. The demoness looked morbidly fascinated. A ghost of a smile hanging on her lips. Hiei pulled harder at his bonds around his hands and wrists, feeling surprisingly weaker as the cold metal rings he felt around his wrists clanged.

"Don't bother trying to get up," the large demon told him. "The bracelets around your wrists are warded to absorbed the same amount of energy from you that you exert in trying to break free of them. There infused with wards as well against different types of demons. We've never had to set them for a fire demon though. This should be interesting. Are they cold yet?"

Hiei planned to stay silent, but spoke up, "yes." The large demon gave a short bark of a laugh. He twisted his wrists trying to get the bracelets off of his skin and against his sleeves or the ropes bound around him as well. The metal went from cold to icy. He lurched his body, trying move the chair from its spot of the floor, but it felt too heavy to be moved. He stopped moving as he began to feel more sluggish. "Untie me," he demanded.

"Just so you know, you won't be able to lie to me. Besides, why would I untie someone who tried to kill my mate?" the large demon asked, switching which leg he had crossed.

"I wasn't going to kill her," he responded when he felt he would rather hold his tongue.

"That's not what it looked like to me," the demoness interjected.

The large demon raised his hand up in the air, signalling her to be silent. "Now I've got a few questions for you. Which one of these two demons here would make you more uncomfortable to have in here while we talked?"

It was no contest. While the demoness was a formidable opponent, the stranger had his own cursing ability that was more dangerous than his sister's. Hiei shook his head and clenched his jaw. "Yasha," he hissed out. He pulled at his bonds again, but stopped abruptly when the bracelets started to burn. The sensation went away the moment he was still.

The large demon turned his head and looked up at the demoness. "Aiko, could you guard the door outside the room please. Only disturb us in an emergency please."

The demoness hummed under her breath in annoyance. She pouted as she left the room, shutting the door behind her softly.

As soon as the sound of the door clicked shut, the large demon asked quietly, "why is Yasha more worse to have in this room Aiko?"

"Because of what he can do," Hiei replied vaguely.

"And what is that exactly?" the large demon asked.

Hiei started pulling at his bonds, but stopped as the icy burning sensation renewed itself. "He can make anyone do what he wants. With just a touch of his hands. He did it to Mukuro." His temper flared up at the thought.

"You don't like that he did that to her?" the large demon questioned.

"No," he bit back.

"Why?"

"Because I guarantee she would have killed him a long time ago otherwise." He bit his tongue, trying to keep from saying anymore.

The large demon shook his head. "If I find you have trouble answering any of my questions, I will have Yasha remove his gloves and we'll go from there," he warned. "Does that scare you?" Without speaking, Hiei nodded in response. "to be up front, you're only alive right now because Minha does not want you killed. Whether that is because you're Mukuro's man or you saved her life and then robbed her years ago, or some other reason she has yet to tell me. But if you reveal a plan to kill her, or me, or my son, or any of my people, whether it is from Mukuro or you yourself want done, I will not hesitate to put you down. And I will not bother to burn your body afterwards. Understood?" Hiei nodded again, not liking where this was going. He could not recall a time where he was this vulnerable before. "Did you come here with the order to kill anyone here?" He shook his head. "Did you come here planning to kill anyone?"

Hiei paused, trying to reason it out. "I want to kill Yasha," he panted out. Quickly, he added, "but with his control over Mukuro, I wouldn't do it. He cursed her, so she'd avenge him before I'd ever have the chance."

The large demon nodded. "You're confident in her actions. Do you want to kill Minha?"

Hiei shook his head. "If I kill her, whose to say her curse will be lifted by her death?"

"You want the blessing she gave you after you rescued and robbed her lifted. You're not the only one who wants a blessing from her lifted. How does yours go again? You read in Yasha's mind, so I know you know it."

He shook his head, fighting himself to keep his mouth shut. His head began to ache as he twisted his wrists, trying to pry his right hands from the ropes. A deep cold began to settle in his wrists. He gave in, "to be loved by a woman I don't deserve."

"What's wrong with that?"

He pulled at his legs, trying to free them instead. "I don't want that," he slipped out.

"Why?"

"Because whoever it is, she has no control over it."

"You seem to like the idea of free will and choice." Hiei waited, hoping not to hear the question 'why' to this statement. The large demon looked up at the stranger. "Do you have any questions before I keep going?"

Hiei watched as the stranger fiddled with the tips of the glove on his left hand. "Who does he think the woman is?"

The large demon turned his head back to Hiei. Hiei shook his head before the large demon could ask his next question. "Who is the woman?"

"I don't know," he spat back.

"Who do you think it is?" the large demon uncrossed his arms and legs and leaned forward, eyeing him curiously.

He kept his mouth shut as he head began to renew its ache. "A woman," he breathed.

The large demon gave a rough laugh and shook his head. "Could you name that woman?" he flustered a little bit to get out a question.

Hiei shook his pounding head, clenching his jaw. He pulled at his lower legs, growing more desperate to be free. "I don't know who it is. How could I name someone when I don't know?" he struggled to keep his voice down. His head hurt less now, but the most basic ache stayed.

The large demon eyed him curiously, muttering under his breath. After a heavy pause, he spoke, "what is the name of the woman whom you think it might be that is named in the blessing Minha gave you?"

He tried to say 'no,' but could scrape out an guttural hiss through his teeth. The ache in his head grew stronger, bothering him now. The two demon stood before him, waiting patiently. He wretched his right arm as hard as possible, feeling an uncomfortable crack in his shoulder that nearly masked the draining feeling, but did not mask the frost burn he felt building up in his wrists. He promised himself he would not speak as he began to pant in response to the different pains building up through out his body. The stranger moved to speak, but the large demon raised a hand to halt him from speaking. He hung his head, giving in. "Mukuro," he wheezed. "Or Nanashi," he bit out. He did not want to name either one.

"Two," the large demon. "Two possibilities. Why Mukuro?"

"She brought me back to the Demon World. She pushed me to be better. She fought as hard as she dared to keep Yasha from bringing me here. She's been inside my head and I've been in hers" The head ache refused to go away, after he spoke, making him start to feel nauseous. "And I am still with her."

"For now. What did you see in Muku-" the large demon began, but the stranger interrupted him.

"No," the stranger said. "His story, not hers," he sounded close enough to begging.

"Fine," the large demon side, clicking his tongue against his teeth. "What was the second name you said?"

"Nanashi," he answered. "Stop," he tried to kick his legs. "I'm done answering your questions," he resolved, sitting up straighter. The stranger shifted his weight, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

"Whose Nanashi?" the large demon asked.

Hiei bit his tongue, struggling to resist the urge to answer, tasting blood in two places. The taste made his stomach flip along with his ever increasing headache.

The stranger spoke out of turn, speaking even though the large demon raised a hand. "She's a human. He met her in the Human World during his parole there. She was his most recent lover."

"Be quiet or I will switch you out for Aiko. She would love to be in here right now," the large demon ordered the stranger. He spoke next to Hiei. "Is what Yasha just said about this human, this Nanashi, true?" Hiei nodded, started to feel groggy. "Why do you think it's her?"

Hiei hung his head, spitting out the taste of blood in mouth. It landed near enough to the large demon's feet. "She's the only woman that I slept with more than once... she welcomed it."

"If you had to chose one to be your mate, which one would you chose?"

After a pause through an addled feeling mind, "Mukuro."

"Why?"

"She's stronger, more powerful, and lives in the Demon World."

"Why is..." the large demon's questions kept coming, Hiei kept having to endure one after another; about anything the large demon could think of about his life. The amount of time that passed was incomprehensible. Hiei was struggling to even think beyond the pounding in his head, the aching, numbing cold that went from the tips of his fingers to half way up his forearms, the soreness in his right shoulder, the tenderness in the side of his neck, the nauseating cramps in his stomach that threatened to make him wretch in front of them- sheer will power kept that from happening-, the taste of his own blood lingering in his mouth each time his bit too hard on his tongue, and newest of all, the dry, soreness developing in his throat. He was too tired to even bother to keep his head up anymore. Instead, he let it hang down, even though it twinged his neck,back, and shoulder. 'Why' had to be the most torturous question in existence, especially when used subjectively.

The stranger grew more uncomfortable as time passed. "Shigure gave you permission to tell Yukina who you really are to her after your last fight. Do you plan to tell one day now?"

"No," he rasped out.

"Why?" the large demon asked, sounding almost bored.

He gave another guttural growl. "I don't want to," he struggled to say. The large demon tried to ask why again, but Hiei drowned out by just giving off a loud, incoherent shout. The sounded puttered out into no more than loud breathing.

"Yasha, remove your gloves. He's in need of some more motivation to keep speaking." A sweet silence settled around the room. Hiei, who had not bothered to look up the two demons for a while, groaned as he raised his head up just high enough to see the stranger pull his gloves up higher on his wrists. "Why?" The large demon looked irksome. Hiei dropped his head, letting it hang listlessly. The first question in a long list of questions that was not directed at him.

"You're pushing him too hard. You got the answers you needed hours ago. You'll break his mind. Mukuro won't like this when she finds out. Neither will Minha."

"I know Mukuro will find out. She'll learn what I will do if she or someone else even thinks to move against us again, especially if Minha is targeted. As for Minha, she just doesn't want him executed. She said so herself," the large demon. "He's still able to speak and hear and hasn't gotten sick yet. One of those is a clear cut sign it is time to stop."

The stranger disagreed. "You should stop now. Show some mercy. You heard him say him say he doesn't who his father is," he started stretching for a reason that would appeal to the large demon to end this process. "What if he is the son of an exiled brother-"

The large demon interrupted, "that is a huge stretch and you know it. If you don't want to be here for this anymore, then switch places with Aiko."

By the sounds of it, the stranger stormed off and the demoness did indeed replace him. She laughed teasingly at the sight of him.

"Shut up," Hiei growled at her unseen form.

"Awe," she said, crouching down so her face and his were lined up. She brought her dagger up under his chin with her right hand, making him raise head up. He could almost rest his head on it, but too much made it bite into his flesh. "You've been going at it for a long time. Does your stomach hurt yet?" she asked, reaching her left hand forward and pressed the heel of her hand between his ribs. He gagged in response, willing himself not to be sick as he tasted bile in the back of his throat. He felt the urge to spit, doing so right in her face. She brought her left hand up to her face, whipping it off with her hand. She pushed her dagger up against his neck. "Listen here you little hucker-"

The door opened before Aiko could finish her sentence. "What is the meaning of this?" shouted a shrill voice. The demoness nicked him under his jaw in her haste to withdraw her dagger and step away from him.

The large demon stood up himself in a hurry. "Minha," he breathed. "We were nearly finished."

Hiei could see the bottoms of their legs out of the corner of their eyes. He could hear arguing, but his ears started ringing, drowning out the sound. How he wished that sound could have been heard earlier when the questions were happening. Four sets in the area. He tried to figure who each set belonged to. The smallest set came up to him. When that one bent down, he could see it was the mate, bending down low and cupping his face in her hands, no knife in her hands. He let his head rest there, closing his eyes briefly. He opened his eyes, looking at her without really wanting to see. She looked exhausted, eyes still red and puffy, but clean and put together otherwise. Her hair hung in two intricately twisted braids that started from the base of her forehead and ended half way down her back. Her clothes were clean, crisp, and pressed. She rested a delicate hand on his stomach, the same place Aiko had just pressed a minute earlier, but instead of pain, he felt a cooling relief as the pain and nausea subsided and became nonexistent.

"Oh," she breathed. "Hayate, untie him now," she pleaded with a high pitched voice as she moved her hands under his jaw, healing the nick the demoness gave him while he felt tugging, pulling, and then a sweet release from behind him.

He could hear her speaking right next to him, but he could not hear anything beyond that. He fell forward over top of her as both of them landed on the floor. She sat down cross legged and pulled him over to her, letting his head come to rest on her shoulder. She moved as if speaking, but he could not make any sense of the words she might have spoken. She pulled his hands up, sliding off the bracelets of his wrists without so much as a struggle. She brought her hands down to his right shoulder, healing the damage he had done in trying to escape. Next she brought her hands down to his right forearm, healing her way down to the tips of his fingers. She repeated the process with his left arm.

She moved as if she was speaking. He could hear the pitch of her voice rise and fall, but could not comprehend the words she must have been squeaking. She tapped him on his shoulder twice. The jarring reminded him of the splitting headache he was dealing with. She tapped him twice a second time, head jarred. She started shaking his shoulder next, prompting him to moan under his breath from the pain. She pulled his face up to look at hers. Her lips were moving, muffled sounds coming out. She looked distraught, glancing behind him with a dark, brooding scowl. Her face soured as she took his head in her hands, palms resting gently, but firmly on his ears. He took a deep, rattling breath as he felt an overwhelmingly peaceful sensation silenced the ringing in his ears and flooded his mind. He closed his eyes as the sensation threatened to nearly drown him.

He could hear once more. He clearly heard the large demon beg, "Minha, stop. You're not strong enough to heal something so complicated as a person's mind."

"Don't distract me," she snapped back, breathing raggedly. "It's your fault he's in this state." She returned her focus to him, shushing him sweetly as he groaned. Her shushing brought up a memory of a time when the girl would do that after he would wake her up after his own nightmare. How she would shush him as she rubbed his back. He whispered his pet name for her as he let the memory come to the forefront of his mind and held onto it as he felt himself slip into the most relaxing sleep.

When Hiei came to the next time, he awoke in a very different environment from the previous one he had been in the last time he woke up. He lay on a bed that was too big and too soft and underneath blankets that were too thick. He felt too warm, so he kicked them off and sat up, noticing his cloak, boots, and socks were missing. At a glance to his right, he noticed his boots and socks were set on a night stand by the bed. His boots looked cleaner in the yellow lighting. He looked around the room, seeing a younger demoness, dressed and hair worn in a similar manner to what he recalled the mate wore earlier. She was humming a melodious, but haunting tune under her breath. She had been sitting in a chair next to a lit fire in a fire place, a needle and thread in one hand, his cloak in another. She stood up nervously, dropping his cloak on the floor, but setting the needle and thread down carefully on a small table next to her chair. Flustered, she picked his cloak back up, folding it neatly and setting it on her chair. She was taller than Minha, but that was not saying much. She had a soft, creamy complexion, shimmery, brown hair, and doe like brown eyes. Had she been born in the Human World, not the Demon World, men would have fallen at her knees to wed such a beautiful demoness.

"Please excuse me," she breathed out in a demure voice. She bowed low to him. "I'm Ayane, one Minha's guards and ladies. Um, my lady told me, I was told to ask how you are feeling after you woke up." She kept her eyes trained to the floor, hands clasped in front of her. "And if there was anything you would like to eat or drink or something. But to also try not to ask questions you well somehow. But I have to answer your questions too the best I can though. Ugh. The way she explained it made so much more sense than I am now."

Hiei stared down the beautiful demoness who stood still as a board, head still down. "What did he do to me?"

"My lord questioned you because it looked like you were going to attack her ladyship. He would have killed you, but my ladyship shouted out for you to be spared." He stared down at her, waiting for her to give more information. "No one can lie to him, be they Hayato or an outsider. It's a trait, a sign that the Great Hawk Spirit chose him to be the Gungju. When an outsider comes in and is seen as a threat, either he questions them like he did with you or kills them outright." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "We're a little less open than we used to be after Mukuro took over our lands. Not much has really changed since then, but I guess it was a matter of pride for must everyone. We'd prefer to be left alone and independent for the most part." She reached a hand up and scratched the back of her neck. "We do live in a harsh area up here in these mountains. We're prone to having issues with rogue animals like werecats and doxies and even the occasional aggressive demon. Those demons who make it up here come up here for one reason or another." She shook her head. "Usually nothing good. A few years ago we actually had issues with demons with some kind of weird virus that made them just, insane and grotesque. They attacked our walls, a few got in, trying to literally eat anyone they came across." She shuddered. "Gunju had to send for help from Mukuro, at a cost to his own pride. She wasn't especially happy when the men she sent all died in the fighting." She shook her head, "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I'm just trying to answer your question in a way that'll make sense..."

"What happens to those he's questioned?" he asked, partly not wanting to ask the question.

"If they are honest, nothing. But people will get sick if they resist answering questions. Honesty can be a difficult thing for some people, especially when looked at subjectively. He's broken minds before. In the process, people usually get sick first, then either lose powers of speech or hearing. But if they still know they have been asked a question, they will still try to answer the question. It's the worst when they can't hear, but all they can do is scream out in the effort to answer the question..." she shuddered a second time. "I don't like it when his lordship takes it that far." She sighed, glancing uncomfortably at the door. "My lady doesn't like it done either without her permission. She came running when she heard you were being questioned. You saved her life once."

"I robbed her," he retorted.

"Still would have died if not for you," she responded evenly. "As would her brother." She wrinkled her nose. Even that looked attractive. "Would you like to come and see my lady?" she asked with a bow.

He shook his head, feeling groggy still. "I want my sword first." He reached over to his socks and boots, shrugging them on. He walked over to her and took his cloak back, shrugging it on.

"It was taken from you before you were questioned. My lady has it currently." She shook her head. "Um," she hummed, reaching down to the left side of her hips where she had one knife resting low on each hip. She unhooked the knife on her left hip and stepped confidently over to him, handing the knife towards him, hilt first. He snatched the knife from her, inspecting it immediately. The hilt was intricately decorated with musical designs. Same with the blade. He took it in hand, standing up and heading for the door. "Wait for me please sir," the beauty ran after him as he went through the door. "She's in her private rooms. This way please," she gestured down the hallway.

He followed her with a touch of reluctance. She lead him to the mate's private meeting room. The mate sat there patiently with the stranger, and the small boy from who knew how long ago; drinking tea and having an quiet, but intense discussion while the small boy sat on her lap. The small boy had the same eyes as the mate. The mate stopped speaking abruptly and jumped up when she saw him, setting the boy down by the far side of her chair. She ran over to him with impressive speed for such a weak demon, hugging him so hard it hurt. He pushed her away.

"I'm so sorry, I really am," she whined out. "I came as soon as I heard from Yasha. Hayate never should have questioned you. You meant me no true harm. I'm so furious with him." She reached a gentle hand out to touch his face. He moved his face away from her, looking at her with disdain. "I'm really sorry," she murmured quietly. Her voice sounded too much like nails on a chalkboard.

"Where's my sword?" he asked, temper growing shorter.

The stranger jumped up, handing it over to him wordlessly. He would not look up from the ground, melancholy air surrounding him. He stepped back over to the table, sitting down to rest his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Hiei handed the knife back to the beauty without delay. She tied her knife to her hip. He inspected his sword. It was freshly polished and sharpened. He wondered if the beauty had done that she had been darning his cloak when awoke. The beauty stood up straighter, as if more comfortable to be fully armed.

The small boy ran over to the mate, taking her hand and tugging it hard. "Mommy, the princess." Hiei glanced down at the small boy, scowling at the child. He better not have placed a curse upon him as well.

"Hiei, do you know a princess?" the mate asked carefully.

He felt a nerved that she should say her name in such a familiar tone. "No," he shrugged her question off.

The mate kept talking, "my son took your hand when you first entered the grounds. I'm not exactly sure what he can do, but he seems able to see glimpses of people's future by the touch of a hand. He saw you and my mate running in the woods to rescue a princess. He didn't see her in the vision, but he heard her scream. And another man laugh. That princess is going to die... But you will be our ally one day, one way or another." He shook his, hearing essentially nonsense out of her mouth now. "Do you wish to leave now?" the mate asked softly as she swallowed thickly.

He turned around and headed for the door. "Wait," the beauty said, gently grabbing his upper arm.

In response, he rounded on her, hand on her soft throat as he pulled his arm out of her grasp. Without even panicking, she had a knife set at his throat. She raised her eyebrows up at him impatiently as she took her dagger off his neck. He let her throat go.

The mate stepped over to him cautiously, holding a square coin out towards him. "What my mate did was wrong. I hope one day you can forgive him just as I had forgiven you for when you robbed me once. Keep hold of this coin. If you ever chose to come back here, you are more than welcome. As my guest. For any length of time as well. Permanently if that is what you wish."

He stared down at the coin and turned his back, leaving the room. "Here," the stranger said. By the sounds of it, he took the coin from the mate before following him out.


	53. Chapter 53

After returning with the stranger in tow, Hiei uncomfortably allowed Mukuro to read his mind to know what had transpired at the Hayato territory with the large demon and his mate. Mukuro was furious about his questioning at the hands of the large demon, but based on the stranger's orders, she could not act outright against the clan. To punish the large demon, she sent out some of her other soldiers to hunt down and kill other demons who were not known to be from the Hayato clan; five children with black hair or blonde hair and one demon female with black hair and dark skin. Afterwards, the bodies with hair cut short were sent to the large demon. A note was sent warning him vaguely what would happen if he mistreated another one of her men.

For the mate however, she sent something different. Instead of sending something vengeful, she sent the mate a new jeweled hair clip, nicer than the one Hiei recalled stealing from her years ago. A note attached complemented her healing ability.

Surprisingly, Mukuro also sent the mate's guard, the beauty, a new knife with intricately carved with musical notes and waves. A note was attached also, commenting that Hiei assisted in the selecting the designs for the blade. Hiei and Yasha had been with Mukuro when the blade was delivered to Mukuro and inspected.

After Mukuro inspected the blade, Yasha did so next, holding the blade and delicately turning it over in his hands. "Oh, she'll like this, she will certainly like this... She's a sound demon, a truly rare kind of demon... She loves music and singing... With this blade and the waves carved into it, she sound be able to sing into it and infuse her energy. Excellent design my lord."

While Yasha looked the blade over, Hiei looked the note over, puzzled over it. "Why does it say I help select the blade?"

Mukuro absentmindedly cracked the knuckles on her left hand. "Sweeten her towards you."

"Why?" he asked, frowning.

Yasha cocked his head over towards Mukuro and gave a cheeky smile. "She's strong," he answered for her. "And so dutiful and vigilant. My sister does love having her as a guard, but does approve. Ayane cleaned and polished your sword and boots and patched up your cloak simply because she was ordered to so. Besides, you also think she's beautiful. Your human influence is showing."

Hiei scowled at the both of them, uncomfortable with where this was going. Mukuro took the knife back Yasha and sheathed the blade. Then she continued speaking where Yasha left off, "if you still are interested in finding a mate from that clan, this Ayane would be a good choice. She is untouched too by the way." Hiei clicked his tongue against his teeth, not enjoying this conversation. "Better choice than Aiko," she scorned. "If you decide you want Ayane, then after the conflict between myself and the other two demon lords, go get her."

Yasha took up the explanation, "first you'll need to prove to her you are strong though. She'll not take just anyone. I would recommend doing that by challenging Aiko to a fight first. After Hayate chose Minha over Aiko, Aiko swore she would never take a mate weaker than her. But you can take her. Once you defeat Aiko, challenge Ayane immediately. You can take her as well, so long as you keep your guard up. When you defeat them both, court Ayane. By defeating them both, you'll not only prove you are strong to Ayane, you'll get revenge against Aiko for being such a bitch to you."

Hiei ignored the two of them and their conversation, waiting for it to drop. Yasha tried to continue it, but Mukuro sensed his uneasiness and let it be dropped.

After that conversation, time passed quicker than expected. He kept dreaming both about the girl and Mukuro, feeling uncomfortable when Mukuro would bring it up. The mate claim dreams about Mukuro were difficult to say the least. He tried to turn his thoughts towards the beauty when this happened, but with hardly knowing her, it did not really fit because he only knew her name, face, and sort of how she looked. As these uncontrollable dreams were driving a rift between himself and Mukuro, Hiei trained his mind to block her out from seeing them. It was harder to do so than he thought. He was only successful part of the time.

Things took an interesting turn when Raizen passed away. Mukuro was ready for the idea of challenging Yomi head on, but wanted him to initiate. Yomi had more talent on his side, but Mukuro had the numbers.

Mukuro watched her live, bugged footage from Yomi's castle almost obsessively, waiting impatiently to see if Yomi chose war. Hiei, Yasha, and the demon in charge of the footage, Rin. His skin was icy blue and his long purple hair unkempt and unbrushed. His eyes were bigger than a normal demon's was, looking like they would be better suited on a panther than a demon. He also had noticeable black circles under his eyes. His long, claw like fingers clicked and clacked upon the keys. Up in front of the four of them, Rin had seventeen screens at once showing Yomi's castle in different rooms and hallways. Hiei watched the screen showing the fox intently, blocking out the sounds and images from the other screens. The fox looked worn out, looking over two different letters and discussing Mukuro's intently with two other unknown demons.

A vaguely familiar trill of laughter echoed off on another screen. Hiei snapped his head up at the sound, searching and finding the screen where the sound came from. He looked up in time to see the wind demon's arms encircling the girl in his arms and swinging her around in a silly circle. The girl's laughter was a sound he had not heard in a long while. Her smile as the wind demon nuzzled her neck looked so naturally blissful.

"I know," the wind demon's voice echoed over the camera. "You're such a ferocious little girl. Demons quiver at the sound of your name." The way he held her made Hiei's heart pound in his ears.

The girl gave a soft giggle as she twisted around in the wind demon's arm. She clasped both of his hands and pressed herself closely next to him with such an seductive smirk on her face. The same face she would make before she would surprise himself in bed. "They better," she whispered in her sweet but soft voice. A surprisingly bold thing for her to say. Next she kissed the wind demon, holding his hands steady down on his side. His hands trembled as if with the desire to pull her in closer. When she would not let his hands go, the wind demon did his best to press himself up against her. Abruptly after the kiss, she turned away from the wind demon and sauntered off without a backwards glance. The wind demon's face was a mix of lustful and surprised as she skipped away. After a breath's length pause, the wind demon chased after her and grabbed at her hand.

'Mine,' Hiei thought as he snarled under his breath, not catching the thought until it happened. He felt Mukuro staring hard at him. He had not blocked the thought from her. She knew the thought he had before he could have stopped it.

Hiei shifted his gaze off of the screen where he had last seen Nishi and settled on the one where the fox was. There were now six other demons in the room with him, totaling nine in the room. Yomi came in the room next. The girl came in lastly, making him groan internally. The wind demon was behind her at the door, but told by Yomi to get out. Hiei looked away from that screen and settled on a different screen, watching the wind demon mope as he walked away. He touched his lips briefly, then the front of his own hips, and finally ruffled his own hair.

"Damn it," Mukuro swore, slamming her hands down on part of the keyboard so hard that nine of the screens went back, thankfully one of the screens to go black had Nishi in it. "Damn it, get that screen back with Yomi in it!" she snapped at the panther demon.

The panther demon just huffed and shook his head, clicking away at the keyboard. He huffed, pulling out the keyboard from the computer. He dropped it on the ground without a care, reached under his desk, and pulled up a new keyboard. He blew the dust off of it and then turned it over and shook the remaining dust out of it.

"Hurry up!" Mukuro shouted down at the panther demon, her rage growing visibly.

"You broke the keyboard board my lord," he replied calmly as he connected the new keyboard to the computer. "You won't like it, but I'll have lost any data from that slam as well. Whatever is going on now on those cameras that were knocked out is gone."

Mukuro's face was red and her body was physically shaking. The stranger stepped next to her, gently touching his bare hands to her own bare hand and whispered in her ear privately. Mukuro took a steadying breath and her face went back to a more natural color. She kept breathing heavily as Yasha dropped her hand and put his hands deeply in his pockets. She watched intently on another screen while the panther demon clicked away.

"Hiei," she said in a strangled voice. He glanced up at her she spoke. "If you fight that girl," she said girl as if it was a swear word, "will you kill her?"

"Yes," he responded, being cautious about what she was feeling and what she wanted to hear. In reality, he had no clue what he would do if that situation arose, but blocking her from knowing the ambiguity.

Mukuro leaned over closer to the stranger, whispering but not whispering to him, "Send for your sister's guard to be brought here and waiting for..." she paused, glancing down at the panther demon, "the end of the tournament."

Hiei frowned at what he heard, wondering what tournament she was talking about.

"The tournament that Yomi just decided to take in place of war with us," Mukuro hissed at him. Yasha put a steadying hand on her back, not saying anything in response. Mukuro's sharp gaze cut through him. When the panther demon got the lost nine screens up and running, she turned her gaze back to the screens, watching with equal intensity. From there they were able to gather the information needed to warn them of the impending Demon King Tournament and how the detective of all people thought it up and coordinated it.

Mukuro left after watching all the information, but the stranger stayed and advised Hiei to stay. When Hiei moved to follow her out, the stranger cautioned, "she's raging right now and needs to let it out. Leave her alone. She won't like it if you got in her way."

Hiei stayed, turning to watch the different screens again, intentionally blocking his mind should she see anything else. At least blocking was starting to get easier. He settled on a neutral enough screen with the fox speaking with his old comrade Yomi. The panther demon gave a hearty laugh as he leaned forward to watch another screen. Hiei followed his gaze up to a screen showing Nishi yet again. She was quickly changing into pajamas from a bedroom that housed two small twin size beds. He scowled at the panther demon as he ran his hand along his inner thigh.

Once Nishi was completely dressed, the panther demon leaned back in his chair and sighed. He glanced up at Hiei, seeing the scowl still on his face. "Don't tell me you frown on hucking too, after having been stranded in the Human World so long?" He turned and pointed to the screen, the one now showing Nishi climbing into bed and curling up with a tattered book. "You just got to look at that ass and tits and just try to resist. She fell the wind mage who follows her around like a sexually deprived mate. She's even got Yomi's curiosity peaked, and he can't see to appreciate how nice and strong she looks stepping out of a hot shower. When she takes off her clothes, everything stays in place. If she were here right now, I would not hesitate to bend her over, be it hucking or not. And if her pet tried to stop me, just choke her so she'll have to use it breathe instead fight back."

Hiei looked passed the aroused panther demon, watching the screen with her obliviously reading while this perverted demon lusted after her, hiding his newly acquired distaste for him. He kept his jealous thoughts and the desired actions that could come from them at bay. The stranger's face wore the simplest intrigued smirk at the conversation. He gave a warning shake of his head before nodding down at the panther demon. Must not be worth killing. Shifting his gaze back up to the screen, Hiei could not tell from the image of her if she was stronger or not, but he could recall how she had looked when he had been alone with her.

Later as he slept, he saw Nishi again. She stepped into his room, unclothed and completely uninhibited. He watched her from his bed as she had stepped over the dead bodies of Mukuro, the beauty, the mate, and Yukina. "Who else now could be cursed to love you?" she asked with a sneer as she climbed into his bed and crawled over to him, laughing trillingly.

"What have you done?" he asked as she pulled him up and laid them both down so he was on top of her. He could have sworn he felt her warm body beneath him. He looked back towards where the dead women had been, but they were gone.

She arched her neck up and turned her head to the right. "You know I could be yours," she said, but this time she spoke with Mukuro's voice. Her hand come down around the back of his neck, making him almost feel it as his mouth sank down to rest on what he remember as the soft, sweet scented flesh of her neck. "Three bites struck true and then I fuck you," she teased with Mukuro's voice still. He opened his mouth and moved to sink his teeth down.

He woke up, tasting his blood in his mouth. He sat up and spat it out into his hand. He had bit his tongue, but not too hard. He spat again for good measure, wiping it off on his blanket without a care. Recalling his dream, he looked around his bed and then his room for Nishi or the other women, but the room was empty. He was completely alone.


	54. Chapter 54

The human wind mage had found him. Jin did not know why or how, but Nanashi had come with Kurama, seeking first himself and Touya out first and then others the had met in the Dark Tournament, Chu, Rinku, Shizuki, and Shishiwakmaru. Jin could still not believe she found him. The lot of them went to the old psychic Genkai's lands to train for the escalating Demon World conflict. Jin was not sure how Nanashi had gotten caught up in a conflict outside of her world, but Kurama had explained that Yomi requested her and the Spirit World approved it as it had the potential counter balance against Yusuke's demon nature, thus dropping the threat to take away her wind serpent and give it to their captain instead.

Nanashi trained with them hard, more impressively than Jin had expected from a human. He loved watching her spar and especially sparring with her. She was more powerful than she had been back in the Dark Tournament. Reminding himself to be cautious with her, taking his flirting slowly, trying to get her to make the first move. She seemed to passively take the modest touches he made on her back and the silly whispers he would tell her. Kurama had warned him to take it is easy until after the conflict in the Demon World was over. So no proclaiming his love or taking her as his mate until then. It would distract not only the two of them, but the others as well. He figured he had waited so long, waiting a little bit longer would make it all the more sweeter.

After an impressive day of training where she had put Shishiwakumaru on his ass, Jin made a bold move, thinking she was less likely to be spooked if he offered to take her somewhere privately.

After training, he stepped over to her before she headed for the house. "Nanashi," he spoke softly, stepping over to her and put his soft hand on her own hand, staying her as she walked. She looked up at him, kissable mouth slightly parted to reveal her straight, white teeth. She brought her other hand up to her mouth briefly before setting it back down. "The sun has not set yet. Do you want to go see it?" He rushed his words out as he nodded towards a nearby cliff side.

"Sure, I'd like that very much," she said, smiling up at him sweetly. Her smile reached her eyes with a sparkle.

Jin held his hand out to her and she took it. Before flying off, he noticed Kurama looking back over to them from behind Nanashi, shaking his head at them and frowned. Jin read it as protective. In nonverbal response, he winked back and smiled; trying to say she was safe and he would not harm her. Jin swooped her up and took off.

She showed little fear as they flew. Once they landed on the cliff side, she slid out of his arms like it was nothing and looked over the edge at the woods below. A gentle breeze rolled over the trees.

"This view is magnificent," she commented quietly.

Jin stepped over to her, cautiously wrapping his arms around her, straining to sense even a slight bit of apprehension. She was tense, but she leaned against him. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, daring to pull her in so close. She nuzzled her head up to him, smiling as she looked up at him. He smiled right back down at her. He bent his head down and kissed her softly on the cheek. She no longer seemed easy to spook like she was when they had first met. Her face reddened when he took his lips away. He reminded himself to go slow now and to not risk spooking her.

Surprisingly, she turned around and spooked him instead. She pushed his hands looser, turned around, raised herself up on the balls of her feet, and kissed him right on the mouth. He was taken aback by it, shocked at first, but liked it. he kissed her back readily, snaking his hand up to her upper back to pull her closer. His other hand wound its way into her hair. She slid her tongue into his mouth before he could even think to be so bold. She was so different from last time. Last time she was frightened and timid but eager. Now she was just eager. Even as she took the lead, he still had to remind himself to take it slow, recalling how he had spooked her last time. Unwillingly, he pulled his mouth away from hers and let her hair go. He kissed her reassuringly on the forehead. He reminded himself to go easy so she would not be spooked.

She spoke, jarring him out of his thoughts. "Will you come to my room tonight?"

He looked down at her, dumb founded at her offer. She reached her hands down coyly to his hips. He nodded down at her, unsure of what to say or do. He felt the temptation to seize her then and there, to have her on the cliff side. He pulled her up against him, not caring if she felt his growing arousal. If she noticed, she did not flinch or pull away. He felt her tap him on the shoulder as she pushed him away.

"Fly us back. My room after everyone else is in bed," she ordered. "Don't knock. Someone might hear. Just come in." Her own face was flushed and she was breathing as if she had just been jogging. He brought his mouth back down to hers, trying to keep himself under control. She pulled her face away, breathing, "let's go back... please..."

He did as he was bid, wishing there was no delay in sleeping with her, but he obeyed her. When a half hour had passed, he realized he could not wait any longer. He went to her room, hoping no one else was awake at the time. He nearly knocked, but he stopped himself, reminding himself that she had told him not to. He entered her room and shut the door quickly but quietly behind him.

Jin saw her laying on her bed, covers pulled up around her. "Hey beautiful," he said, nodding over to her. He had remembered that humans liked to be complemented on the looks the way demons liked to be complemented on their strength.

She gave him a coy look, biting her lower lip. He stepped over to her bed and sat down, looking her over curiously, wondering how this was going to have to be played out. Before he could even figure out what he should do, he was being kissed. He kissed her back readily, enjoying just how bold she was being with him. Definitely not the same human he meet before. The human he had fallen for was meek and mild. Now she was confident and brave.

He saw an increase in her boldness when the covers slipped off of her chest while she kissed him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him as close as possible to her. She pulled him down as she laid down on her back beneath him. He could feel her bare chest pressed up against his.

When he felt her bare flesh beneath his, he wanted to see what was what. He pulled her blanket between them away, revealing her uncovered breasts and waist. He gasped at the sight of her. "Are you... naked?"

Her sweet face gave him a coy look as she nodded. He felt his blood rise as he shifted off of her and pulled the blanket completely off of her. He looked her body up and down, unbelievable, toned, and strong. She was not covering herself off or flinching at his gaze. She could be competition for just about any demoness who would try to catch his eye.

"Take me..." she told him boldly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He stood up, pulling off his clothes in a hurry. When he turned back to her, her boldness had disappeared. He hoped it was not permanent. She lay curled up on the bed. He guided her body to uncurl it, straightening her out on her back. He climbed on top of her, going slowly, trying to be sure not to scare her out of freezing up. Not when they were this close. He was so close to sleeping with the woman he loved.

He tried to keep himself in check as he fondled her breast, feeling her jump and squirm at his touch. He felt her leg brush against his cock, worried that might spook like it did back at the Dark Tournament. She twitched, but did not stay him. He rushed himself before she could stop him, wanting to give her something to motivate her to keep going. He reached the hand that had been on her breast down to her center and slid two fingers into her in a rush. She gasped in surprise as he moved his fingers, closing her eyes. She panted beneath him as he touched her. Her hands raised up to gently grip her shoulders and her head craned back on the pillow under her. He felt her grow slicker and tighter around his fingers. He felt confident that she had come just then.

Feeling as if he could not wait any longer, he slid his fingers out of her. She looked up at him curiously and then gasped louder as he slid his cock inside of her. She was so tight and wet. She was perfect in this way too. She closed her eyes, face looking uncomfortable. He could have kicked himself. She was a human, not a a demoness, so she was not used to someone his size. He went too fast with her and now she was hurting. Poor thing. Poor sweet, lovable thing.

He slowed down inside of her, looking her over. "You okay sweetie?" he asked, reaching for a human pet name she might like to hear him use.

She glanced up at him and then turned her face away. "Yeah... just, uh... take it slow for a bit..."

He smiled down at her, seeing she was able to take the pain. Once she was used to him, she would love it. "Okay, no problem," he whispered down at her.

He felt himself getting closer, trying to resist the temptation to bite her neck. He kissed it instead, trying not to lay his teeth on her. He could hear his own moans echoing off the soft skin of her neck.

He felt her tighten around him and heard her whisper, "Jin..."

With her lusty form panting beneath him, he felt he could no long resist. He brought his teeth down to her neck, trying not to bite too hard. Marks would be bad, but breaking the skin would be the worst idea. He could not imagine resisting biting her in the other two places if he did that.

"Stop that," she grumbled clearly, pushing his face away. He stilled himself, looking down at her unhappy, scowling face. "I don't want any marks."

He swallowed and nodded in response, nervous about speaking. He kept himself moving inside of her, keeping his head above hers to help resist his desire to bite her again. He felt himself so close that he had trouble holding his voice back. "Oh, Nanashi," he moaned loudly as he came. She jumped up and covered his mouth, trying to keep him quiet. He was too tired now to keep going. He slipped out of her, rolled over, and laid down next to her as he felt blissed out. She was perfect, beyond perfect, he thought as he peered at her through squinted eyes.

As he reached over to pull her closer, she sat up and brought one hand up to her mouth. He moved to run his hand along her thigh, but she had swung her legs over the bed and she stood up. She stepped over to her dresser, pulling out old, tatty clothing before going into her bathroom. Jin closed his eyes sleepily, knowing she would come back to him soon.

"Jin, you need to go back to your room now," Nanashi spoke over him bluntly.

Jin lolled his head up to the direction of her voice and opened his eyes. Groggily, he asked her what seemed to be an obvious question, "can't I stay here with you?"

Nanashi sat down on the end of the bed and huffed. She spoke without looking at him. "Not tonight. I... don't want anyone to know about this... Not until... um, well not until the conflict between the demon kings is over."

When she stopped speaking, she reached down, picked up his clothes, and tossed them over to where he lay. He sighed and picked up his clothing, sat up, and began shrugging them on; trying to go slow enough that if she changed her mind and would let him stay, that he would be here when she made that decision. When he finished dressing, he crawled off the bed, stood up, and leaned down over her. She looked up at him, face blank as he kissed her goodbye. She would not look over to him as he left her room. He sighed and leaned on her door, waiting in vain to hope she will come over to open the door and invite him back in. She was amazing, but he was worried he might not have been that for her.

After waiting what felt like too many minutes for her to come after him, he headed back downstairs and into the kitchen. He saw Touya there himself, setting an empty water cup down in the sink. Jin rushed out to tell his sleepy friend the wonderful thing that just happened to him. "Touya, you'll never believe it, but I finally slept with Nanashi and she was amazing!" he rushed out, probably a little too loudly.

His sleepy friend did not respond at first, just blinked at him sleepily. "Then you can finally shut up about her," he mumbled out, heading towards his own bedroom.

"But she's so amazing," he rushed out, following Touya as he headed for his own room down the main hall. "Sleeping with Nanashi was the most amazing exp-"

"Keep your voice down, people are trying to sleep," Touya hissed as he went into his own bedroom, leaving Jin alone in the hallway.


	55. Chapter 55

Kurama rolled over on his back, hearing two voices speaking in the hall, waking him up.

"But she's so amazing," an incomprehensibly rude voice rushed out loudly. "Sleeping with Nanashi was the most amazing exp-"

"Keep your voice down, people are trying to sleep," another voice warned not as loudly, but equally annoyingly.

After hearing two doors shutting, the second one way louder than the first, Kurama rolled back over, more than ready to fall asleep, not even worrying to think over the words he just heard. Kurama heard another door slam shut and someone else grumbling. Once the annoyances stopped, he fell happily back to sleep, only to be rudely woken up by yet another annoying sound.

This new sound was more a collection of other sounds. The sounds of someone whimpering and two people moving quickly. "Quit whining," the voice of Genkai snapped.

Kurama fell back asleep, knowing whatever it was, Genaki could take care of it.

Sleep was ripped away from him for the fourth and worst time. The sound of someone banging loudly on his door followed by Nanashi's voice shouting, "Up! Get up! Everyone up! Now!"

Kurama was up in a flash, leaving his shirt wear it lay and left his own room, seeing everyone else had exited their rooms too, staring at her curiously. She was in her sleeping clothes as well, hair completely disheveled. Some of it looked like it had been ripped out by the roots.

"What's going on?" Touya asked first, pulling up his loose fitting pants.

"Training, Genkai's orders. Get to the hilltop now," she shoved Touya forward and gestured for the others to follow him. Once the others had headed out the door, Nanashi ran after them, limping, but managing to keep pace.

Once they had all gathered up on the hilltop, Genkai took the cigarette she had been smoking from her mouth, stomping it out furiously. Her livid, irritated expression locked on Nanashi. "Nanashi! Why did it take them all so long to get up here?! You let them down! Again! I told you ten minutes. It took you twenty-three to get up here! While we're at it, get over here and explain what caused all this!"

Kurama tiredly tried to recall if he had ever seen Genkai scream at Yusuke so gratingly before as Nanashi dragged herself over next to her, looking about ready to wilt next to her.

"Last night, I slept with Jin," Nanashi rushed out, head hung down.

Kurama swore internally. He had specifically and intentionally told Jin to take it slow with Nanashi, to wait until after the Demon World conflict was over to pursue her. Sleeping with her could have, and should have waited until then.

Genkai spoke next, "because of this, absolute lack of leadership and respect on her part, all of you will be punished. Five laps around the compound and then we can begin."

After those laps and the three days afterwards, Genkai took their training to the next level. These male demons learned about a new kind of hell. Surprisingly, Nanashi kept up with the other male demons. The only concern Kurama felt about her was that since she had slept with Jin, she did need to drink the tea he made her. Kurama managed to convince Genkai to let her have that and only that over those three days. A small mercy to keep her from falling pregnant.

After three days, the lot of them return to the house and had to share the empty living room between all of them now. Neither Jin nor Nanashi would get another chance to be alone together long enough to infuriate Genkai again. Kurama told them all to sleep while he checked over them all of their rooms.

Kurama started with Touya first, questioning him quietly about Jin and Nanashi and what he knew. All he knew was Jin claimed to be in love with her and had tried to brag about finally sleeping with her. It sounded a bit like Jin had become a little bit obsessive after spending time alone with her during the Dark Tournament. Kurama groaned at learning this information that could make this situation worse, not better.

Once he finished tending to Touya's wounds, he woke up Jin next, questioning him as well, trying to get him to keep his voice down and then to get pass the claims of being in love. He got the full story, with too much information, about what happened between Jin and Nanashi's and Hiei's third party intervention. Kurama knew Hiei had kept Jin away from Nanashi once, but now he knew he had done it more than once, and quite possibly for selfish motives. Attacking the wind mage, threatening to harm her if Jin kept sniffing around. Hiei had apparently done whatever it took to keep Nanashi from sleeping with the wind mage before he could. It was a low level of selfishness, but not entirely unsurprising.

Yet the way things stood now, Hiei was gone. Back to the Demon World, intentionally leaving Nanashi behind for good. Jin could be with her now, could possibly treat her better. Planning himself to tell her once the conflict was over that he was in love with her and would do anything to become her mate, even if it meant he would be stuck with her in the Human World afterwards. Kurama could not imagine Hiei ever speaking that way about her or even planning such bold and permanent life moves. The only thing Hiei had wanted from her was not to share her affection with another person. Jin would love her and would treat her openly with attention and affection if they were mates. Kurama could not imagine Hiei ever claiming to love her or wanting to mate claim her. Jin might be the better option and he was on the path to make her happy, so long as he did so after the conflict was over. And if Hiei ever came back, which was highly unlikely, Kurama could also cause an interference.

Thankfully Jin agreed to behave himself even better than before when around her. He would not try to sleep with her again, but she could still potentially try to sleep with him again before the conflict was over. It would be an issue to sort out later once they left Genkai's temple for Yomi's castle.

After tending to the other demons, Kurama came over to Nanashi and tended to her last, feeling slightly guilty about doing that intentionally. She jumped when he woke her up, hand raised up protectively in front of her face. "Let me see your feet," he requested, cutting to the chase. He felt too tired to be coaxing.

She kept her head down as she slipped her feet out in front of her. Her right ankle looked awful, broken and bruised. She whimpered as he quickly healed it up, feeling a twinge of remorse at how he was more worried about quickly healing than he was about not inflicting pain while he did so. He tried to recall if she had even bothered to complain about this injury during those three days of hell or how she had even gotten it in the first place.

As he began wrapping her now unbroken ankle in a wrap coated with a salve that would accelerate its healing, she finally spoke up mousily, "I'm sorry. For all I did." He ignored her as he continued to wrap her ankle. "Please say something," she whined.

He looked up at her too harshly, as she flinched in nonverbal response. "How much tea do you have left?"

She paused, nipping her lip and then letting it slip away from her teeth. "A week," she whispered.

"I'm not giving you anymore after that. Finish taking it though. Don't stop." He hoped, possibly against hope, that if she no longer had the tea, she would be more motivated now than ever to keep herself out of Jin's bed. She had to be smart enough to do at least that.

She gave a curt nod as she said, "okay..." She slipped her knees up to her chest and hugged them close. She looked a mix of exhausted, confused, and vulnerable.

Kurama glanced over toward Jin and asked "why him?" he asked as he began his own questioning of her.

She hummed a little whine. "He and I, sort of dated... during the Dark Tournament."

Kurama sighed, starting to realize how oblivious she truly was. He took his chances, weaving in some lies to keep her off guard and honest. It had worked in the passed before with her to keep her honest. Scolding her might have been a little too harsh though, but he was too worn out himself to really care. "You've got to be kidding me. I was asked to look after you and make sure you didn't do anything stupid, like kill yourself. I would call pissing Genkai off incredibly stupid. Seriously, her house? It didn't help that Jin came from your room, and woke up Touya and bragged loudly. I heard him. Apparently so did Genkai."

She rested her head down on her knees. He felt like he had spoke too harshly to her, even though she deserved that and more. "Who... asked you...?" she asked, raising her head back up to look at him, but not quite in the face.

Kurama read her stupidly naive face carefully, trying to sort out the best answer to her question, be it a true one or a false one. Right now he was more worried about keeping her focused on the conflict and less on any romances that could wait. Jin would behave himself, but she would need to be kept from trying something herself that would make the wind mage's resolve slip.

"Hiei," he lied, looking her right in the eye. It was cruel, but effective. Reminding her of Hiei could possibly stop her from pursuing the wind mage for a while. Manipulating her feelings was a noticeably painful move on his part.

She looked away from him, head returning to rest on her knees. Her voice cracked, "why would he care?"

The way she looked made him regret lying about Hiei, but now that it was said now and could not be taken back. He had laid it on the table, so he might as well continue to use it to his devices. "I don't know. Probably because you're reckless and make decisions without thinking about them first. Everything you do has consequences. Next time think before you act." He finished wrapping up her ankle. It should be fully healed by sunrise.

She raised her head up and rubbed her eyes. "Get some sleep. I'll take the next watch." She straighten herself out and stood up, purposefully not looking at him. She leaned her back on the wall, hands up by her mouth, weight resting heavily on her left leg. She looked like she was struggling not to crumble in front of him. He felt most guilty about just not wanting to care about how she felt and how he had additionally made her feel.

Kurama stood up, stepping nearer to her, warning, "don't you dare fall asleep. I'll throw you out myself." She flinched at his words, but made no response. "Wake up Chu next. He's the least likely to ignore you," he advised her honestly. When she made no response, he stepped away from her, grabbed a sheet for himself to sleep with, went to an empty space below the window, and instantly fell asleep.

He and the others were woken up by Genkai as the sky was shifting from grey to orange in the early hours of the morning. He noticed Nanashi was still rooted to the spot where he had last seen her. She looked exhausted but determined as they continued their training that day and the remaining days they spent training with Genkai.

When the day came to take the lot of them to the Demon World, Kurama felt only the slightest hesitation to bring Nanashi with them as promised. His only remaining concern about bringing her along was what would happen between her and Jin in Yomi's castle. Jin still wanted her and she still passively encouraged him. The demon was clearly struggling to control himself and his arousal around her. Kurama had contacted Yomi about the sleeping arrangements to see if it were possible for Yomi to have a female staff member who could share Nanashi's room as a chaperone/deterrent to keep her from inviting Jin into her bed a second time. Yomi offered to share his own room with her instead, hinting that she would be safer and not too lonely in his own bed. Kurama denied the offer, saying instead that a room should be made up so that he would share with her. Nothing would be allowed to happen her with anyone if he shared with her.

Once they settled down in Yomi's castle, Nanashi was resistant to sharing with him, but once he threatened to send her home, she shut up right away. Kurama watched over her the best he could. He found it both interesting and puzzling when Yomi took his own special interest in her, putting her on his council even with not true explanation. It came in handy at least when she made the swing vote and the right decision to take the Demon King Tournament over war with Mukuro.

After Yomi's council made its decision, Kurama met first with Yomi privately at his request. Kurama felt it unwise to dare to refuse. They stayed in the council room long after the others had left. Yomi stayed seated, half relaxing, half slouching in his chair, guard slackened, but not down. Kurama sat in the seat next to his, going over the two letters again, as well as researched stats on all the men in Mukuro's army. After what seemed like a long time, meant to stress Kurama out, Yomi finally broke the silence, "so tell me, what is the exact nature of relationship with Miss Nanashi?"

Kurama kept his breathing and heart rate under control and even. "Friendship," he answered. "Platonic friendship."

Yomi straightened up a little in his chair. "Has it always been like that?" he asked curiously.

Kurama continued to keep his breathing and heart rate normal while he paused, debating how to answer. "We've slipped once... after she helped me remove a death plant from my heart... we did not plan for it. We went back to platonic after that." He stayed as honest as possible, but being careful enough to throw him off any scent of a third party involvement. He had to be careful not reveal Hiei's romance with her lest Yomi try to play it to his advantage.

"So you would not plan to ever make her your own?"

"No," he answered truthfully. "The personal complications on a human level alone would make us an incompatible pairing."

"But you love her?"

"Yes. A friend can love a friend," he spoke plainly.

"So if a demon were wanting to claim her as his own, how would you react?"

Kurama sighed, figuring Yomi was referring to one very specific demon. "If you're referring to Jin-" Kurama paused as he spoke, noticing Yomi perking up curiously at reference to the wind mage. "He is smitten to say the least. He plans to claim her after, well, now after this Demon King Tournament. He finds the fact that she also can manipulate the wind attractive."

Yomi gave a smirk and a soft laugh, as if the idea of Jin claiming Nanashi was as comical as it was intriguing. "And what if another demon took her first?" Kurama did not like where this was going. "One that could afford her the opportunity to stay in the Demon World and grant her the protection by association that would make almost any demon who would want to sample her for themselves reconsider?"

Kurama felt a stir of protectiveness flair up, not hiding his reaction from Yomi this time. "She's not staying in the Demon World. She's human, therefore she should stay in the Human World."

"How well do you know your friend? Seems like you don't know she would like to stay in this world over her own. Would do 'anything' to do so." Kurama waited impatiently now for Yomi to reveal just exactly what he was talking about. "What if another friend of yours afforded her this opportunity?"

"If that friend also loved her, then I would expect for him to live in the Human World with her instead where it is safer."

Yomi gave a barking laugh in response to what Kurama had said. "And what of her kin? The mazoku? How does he feel about her?"

"Safe bet to say he loves her as well, but in a familial way.

"Then he would also be protective of her as well, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes," he responded tersely.

"And what of the Spirit World Prince? Would he also not want to protect her from harm?"

"He would want to protect her as well, yes."

"So if a demon were to mate claim her, that demon could have potential alliances with yourself, Yusuke, and Prince Koenma? All for the sake of one little human girl?"

"Depending on the situation, more factors would play into it, but yes, those alliances could formed. What demon are discussing here? Has one of your men expressed an interest in her as well?"

Yomi shrugged, smirking in a way that made Kurama feel on guard. "I never had much interest in finding a mate before, but this human could possibly hold the key to even greater political power than I had dreamed possible before. Once I win the Demon King Tournament, I could take her as a mate, pulling the three of you men into a tri-world alliance."

Yomi carefully kept his speech about claiming her hypothetical, but Kurama still understood he really did intend to take her. Kurama felt the desire to send her home after learning this information, but he had no clue how could possible pull that off now. He would just have to wait until after the tournament now and then get her out of the Demon World and back to the Human World and away from Yomi as soon as possible.

Later in their bedroom, Kurama sat down on Nanashi's bed as she was laying with back propped up, reading one of the books she had brought with her from the Human World. Interrupting her while she did that was not the best idea, but her temper could be kept at bay if he played his cards right. Nanashi glanced up at him from a top her book. "What's wrong?" she grumbled.

She was frowning, clearly irritated at his interruption. He kept pursuing this conversation, trying to see what she knew. "Have you had any private conversations with Yomi recently?" he asked her.

She frowned cutely, setting her book down in her lap, open to the last page she had been reading. She clicked her teeth a few times first before saying, "yeah, I told him I like the Demon World and wanted to stay. What of it?" Her answer cut to the quick.

Kurama rubbed his brow absentmindedly, trying to think how best to warn her of Yomi's intentions. "That makes sense then..." he thought out loud.

"What makes sense?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Kurama looked at her until she locked eyes with him and held her gaze. "Yomi told me after the meeting that if he wins the tournament, he wants to take you as his mate."

"Okay..." she puzzled out. "So he wants me to be his friend?" She pouted in response, confused where he thought she would be terrified.

"What? No."

"What does mate mean then if not 'friend'?" she sassed him.

He figured out real fast that no one had ever told her what happens when a demon claimed a mate. Now it was on him to warn her, lest Yomi or Jin showed her in real time as an explanation. "Okay... Let me explain. You know how humans get married and have a wedding and live together?"

"Yeah, I'm human."

"Okay," he began explaining what he could to her, hoping she would be frightened and on guard at the idea of Yomi wanting to do it to her. It still was an awkward and difficult conversation to have. "Well, demons do it differently. Privately. When a demon takes a mate in a heterosexual relationship, it's done in the bedroom in private." Nanashi sat up a little straighter, reaching over to her book, marking her page and closing the book without looking at it. "The male demon bites the female on the side of the neck, chest, and... ah..." he pointed his hand down between her legs so she would understand what word he meant to say without him actually saying it. "This represents the male claiming the female's mind, heart, body in the bond. They also..." he chose his next words as delicately as possible while still explaining to and warning her, "sleep together. The demon male also can get very aggressive and go into a frenzy from the taste of blood. It's not rare for a female to die or get severely injured. Once mated, neither of them can ever be, well, with another person again. Mating is absolutely final. You can't go back on it, even in death."

She finally started to look nervous, bringing her hand up to touch the side of her neck absentmindedly. Her face was paler as she asked, "so Yomi essentially wants to marry me? Why? He's not in love with me is he?"

If this had not been such a dead serious conversation, Kurama could have laughed at her question about someone being in love with her. She still had no idea about Jin's declarations.

Kurama shook his head, trying to dissuade from any illusions about Yomi she might form after what he was warning her about. "Oh, no. Not that. My guess is if he claimed you as his mate, then you wouldn't be able to leave the Demon World. You'd get your wish," he hissed out.

She flinched at his words, but did not ask how he knew about her desire to stay in this world over her own.

She bent her head forward, questioning him carefully, with a clear cut hint of hopefulness in her voice, "but aren't I supposed to go back to the Human World after this?"

Kurama eyed her carefully, reading her expressions as he spoke, "not if your Yomi's mate. It's against primal laws for a demon to be forced to be separated from his mate. Not even Koenma can make that happen. If they mated for the right reasons, the separation could kill them." Fright and hope danced along her face. "You could never leave the Demon World or Yomi for the rest of your life." He next mixed half truths with his own conjecture. "I think he wants you because of your reputation and your connection to Yusuke's reputation. A human psychic in the Demon World, mated to one of the most powerful demons, the new Demon King, in the Demon World, would intimidate his enemies." 'Not to mention pull Yusuke, Koenma, and myself into an alliance like he wants,' he thought without adding aloud.

"But he has a kid!" she panted out.

Kurama tried not to smile at her words, finding it interesting that she would panic at the idea not of being mate claimed, but at the idea of more or less being a step mother. "More a clone than a child. He loves Shura never the less."

Nanashi shook her with confusion. "I couldn't..." she grumbled out. She met his eyes cautiously. "I could stay here?... Him..." She turned her head away, fiddling with a few stray hairs laying on her neck.

He looked at her, dumbfounded that after what he had warned her about, she would still consider going through with it. "Don't even think about it," he scolded her, hoping that would help keep her from forming some kind of stupid plan. "He could kill you in the process and not even care. It's an absolutely brutal process. You would just make him more intimidating standing next to him. He doesn't love you or even desire you. He just wants you as a trophy."

She moused up, hand up by her mouth. After an uncomfortable pause, she asked in frightened whisper, "but I could stay here?"

"Yes, but it's not worth it," he tried to drive that into her. "I can't believe you're even considering it," he accused.

She blinked and shook her head. "I won't." She moved her mouth as if speaking, but without moving her jaw, meaning she was communicating with her wind dragon. Hopefully the creature was telling her how stupid she would be if let Yomi mate claim her. She reached up and touched her neck for a third time. "Kurama..." she breathed his name thickly. He sat patiently, waiting for her to continue to speak. "What happens if a male demon bites a female, but doesn't break the skin?"

Kurama recalled the time Hiei had told him he nearly claimed her when he had almost intentionally bit her neck to draw blood. "Nothing. If all three bites aren't made before the male uh... finishes, the process is not complete and they are not mated. So if you were bit, but your skin was not broken, you're fine."

"Oh, good... Um, both... mmm..." she spoke nonsensically, as if wanting to confess something that was uncomfortable. "Hiei," Kurama perked up, surprised she would intentionally say his name. "I think, and Jin tried to make me their mates. At different times." Her face was tinted a dusty pink.

"Jin too?" Kurama inquired, wondering if she knew more about Jin's intentions that he had originally thought.

Nanashi nodded as her face reddened. She confessed, "when we slept together, he started biting my neck. I didn't want him to leave marks others would see, so I stopped him... Same with..." she closed her mouth and hummed out a little whine.

"Hiei," Kurama prompted. She nodded, looking sadder than she had a few moments before. "I knew he bit you by accident, but I didn't know about Jin." He reached over and took her hands, holding them in a tender, but not romantic manner. "Matehood isn't something you should just jump into and expect everything to be okay. A lot of demons choose to never take a mate. I can't stop you from making stupid decisions, you've proven that more often enough, but I will advise you not to take a demon mate." He knew she would not listen to him fully, so warning her to never take a demon mate could keep her from choosing Yomi, but that she would be naturally rebellious enough to let Jin claim her. "I prefer you alive. So does Yusuke."


	56. Chapter 56

Hiei journeyed with Mukuro back in disguise and her other men who were fighting in the Demon King Tournament. The stranger chose to stay back, Mukuro commenting that he was never much for politics that did not suit his own selfish desires, whatever that meant. He was told that he was to greet the beauty when she arrived at the castle to wait for Hiei after the tournament.

Upon arrival and eyeing up the competition and Mukuro revealing herself in a flourish to the detective, that was when he noticed the girl, standing with the others. She stood besides the wind mage, taller, leaner, and more toned. She looked stronger than he would want to admit. Their eyes locked for the briefest instant before she turned and looked at Mukuro instead curiously.

The wind mage stood next to her, too close for comfort. He playfully poked her in the arm and whispered, "you okay?"

The girl looked up at the wind mage with an unreadable expression just before she reached her hands up to the wind mage's face, pulled his mouth down to hers, and kissed him. It appeared to be a clear cut image that she was his. That she had chosen this demon, the one who had fallen in love with her at first sight, as her lover. They fit. Two wind mages destined to fall in love painted a perfect picture. That was until she pulled away from the wind mage, whose face resembled a cross between a pout and scowl. He shot Hiei a dirty look.

"What the hell!" the detective shouted at the scene.

"For good luck," the girl responded. Her eyes went out of focus shortly before blinking up at the detective who was speaking a second time to her.

"I'm gone for months and suddenly you're a bad ass and kissing demons?"

The girl gave a faked, nonchalant shrug, and said, "pretty much." She faked a unnatural looking smirk and took the wind mage by the hand. The wind mage slipped his hand out of hers and slid them in his pockets. The look he gave her looked more like a cowering dog than a happily surprised lover that would been a more expected reaction. The girl gnawed on her lip, looking caught in the wrong. There was more to this story playing out before them than met the eye. But one thing looked so clear, she chose the wind mage.

Once the preliminaries were set up, they were under way quickly. Mukuro's were held after Hiei's, so he was able to witness her, the panther demon, the girl, and seven other demons on their plain for battle. Other plains had dozens of contenders, but only those ten were willing to be on the same plain as Mukuro. Either they were brave or foolish. The panther demon would was the only one who was guaranteed to walk away safely from that plain.

Watching the battle, Hiei watched as the first thing the girl did was run away from the central area where all the fighters had been placed. At first, it appeared to be an act of cowardice, but as he watched Mukuro cut down two of the demons with ease, while the panther demon and three other demons chased the girl down. The girl cut down the other three easily, but the panther demon gave her some trouble.

The panther demon looked excited as he fought with the girl, hardened hands and nails swiped her ax away each time she tried to hit him. She looked so annoyed, trying to cut him down, while he laughed and roared at her, but did not manage to intimidate her, oddly enough. Hiei recalled the panther demon's sexual attraction towards the girl and the lewd comments he had made about her. When he knocked her down and pinned her down right by the edge of the plain, he drove his knee down into the space between her ribs. Her wind dragon disappeared as she struggled to fight him off, punching and scratching his leg. The panther demon looked only amused at her inability to get him off of her. He smacked her hands away from his leg, looking down at her the same way a predator looks at prey before toying with it; laughing gleefully. Curling his nails in, he used to the back of his hand to strike her across the mouth. Her eyes blazed up at him in response. He laughed at her again, licking his top teeth as he met her gaze. He reached his hand down to the front of her shirt and ripped the front of it off of her. She squirmed beneath the panther demon, trying to get out from beneath him as he fondled her breast, nails nearly biting her soft flesh as he did so.

Hiei felt a flash of rage at the sight, directed mostly to the panther demon, and a slight bit at Mukuro who was standing, waiting patiently, in the center of the plain. She had to know the line the panther demon had just crossed, but was just standing there idly while it happened. 'Mine,' the thought flashed across his mind as the panther demon continued in his molestation.

"Why isn't anyone doing something to stop that!?" the detective was shouting at the screen showing the two combatants. Hiei looked over at the fox standing nearby, watching the scene unfold intently as his hands gripped the railing in front of him, knuckles white.

From farther away, Hiei could hear the wind mage raging. "Get off her!" the wind mage was shouting, voice cracking. "That son of a bitch! She's mine!"

The girl struggled some more as her wind dragon crawled up the panther demon's leg, sinking his fangs deeply into his flesh. His blood flowed freely down his leg as he roared down at her in rage and pain. The girl managed to awkwardly pull him off of her by the leg and shoved him off the edge of the plain. She panted down as she watched him fall, covering her chest up with her hand.

Hiei was moving before he realized it. He found the panther demon mumbling and dragging himself back towards the castle hosting the combatants. He had a noticeable limp caused by the wind dragon biting into his leg. Should have torn the leg clean off, deservedly. The panther demon growled under his breath at Hiei, but kept limping. As he went passed, Hiei kicked the panther demon in his good knee, making him crumble down to his knees.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" the panther demon bit out.

Hiei drew his sword, acting on instinct. Instinct that would have been reached for had the man in front of him been Mukuro's mate instead of the panther demon. His vision tinted red. Nicking and slicing into the rapidly weakening demon's flesh with little difficulty. His pained cries were almost musical to Hiei's ears.

"You'll live just long enough to apologize, then you'll die," he heard his own voice say.

Hiei sensed two figures moving behind him. He held up the panther demon with one hand by the neck, sword pressed against the panther demon's neck below his hand, and looked over at the figures approaching. When he say it was the detective and the girl, his vision dulled back to a normal color.

He turned by the demon, blood up from the shock of just how grotesque the demon now looked. "Got anything to say?" The panther demon tried to pull his neck away from his hand and sword in vain. "Say it!" he harshed out.

The panther demon gave in, sputtering out a weak attempt at an apology before Hiei ran his sword across his neck. He dropped the dead panther demon's body to the ground, turned, and walked away as he wiped his blade off on his pants and sheathed his sword. He heard an animalistic roar behind him as created distance between him and them. Not the death he wanted, but close enough. With that blood lust sated, he went on to mentally prepare himself for his next match set for Mukuro.


	57. Chapter 57

Blood warning and brutal sex in this chapter:

After losing to Mukuro narrowly, Hiei allowed himself to pass out, knowing Mukuro could be trusted with his unconscious body. The rest started out as a peaceful, dreamless slumber, but after feeling an unexpected pinch in his arm, he tried to jar himself awake; something that was never difficult to do when he was this lucid. Something uncontrollable kept pulling him down into sleep, panic from being able to fully resume consciousness was triggering nightmares. Whatever it was that was pulling him under was too strong, threatening to drown him. He sunk down into darkness, and emerged into a nightmare.

He was back on the ice maiden's world, snow billowing all around the darkened night as he stood on a hill top looking down below. The village looked sleeping, hardly any lights were lit below. He smiled down at it, blood thirsty for vengeance long overdue. He drew his sword, ready to jumped down and charge.

"Stop," he heard Mukuro's voice behind him. "Stop, you don't want to do this. You don't hate them." He felt arms come around him, pulling him in close while his back remained turned on Mukuro. "It's not hatred, it's longing. You just want to belong to something. You know in your soul that I'm right, Hiei. Admit it. End your search, the real one, and find yourself."

He tried to move forward, but found he could not move. He was frozen still, unable to move forward as his muscles refused.

"Let go of me," he growled out in frustration. The arms stayed locked around him. "I said let go!" he shouted as he twisted around, running his sword through the figure's stomach. All too late, he realized it was the girl behind him, not Mukuro. "No!" he panicked, pulling his sword swiftly out of her and watching her slump down onto the snow, red darkening the snow. "No..." he breathed out, bending down over her. Disbelief washed over him at the sight of her.

He pulled her up to a sitting position, hand pressing down on her middle, trying to assuage the bleeding wound in her stomach as she struggled to breath. Her back was soaked as well. He shook his head as she opened up her sleepy brown eyes and met his. 'sshh... you're okay. Sshh... it's just a nightmare...i... I... love you..." The last thing she gave a rattling breath and went still.

"No... no no no..." he kept repeating the word as he was trapped in the nightmare and had to feel her body go numb and stiff with cold. Begging her to wake up did not help either. His mind just wished to leave the nightmare and escape back into consciousness now more than ever.

Inside his mind the nightmare shifted. He was in his bedroom, but it was not his bedroom in Mukuro's castle. It was different but similar, oh so similar. He let the vague feeling of disorientation slide. He sat up, stretching his achy legs forward. He rubbed his eyes, hardly feeling that, or anything. He took a deep breath, smelling but not smelling a familiar scent, a silvery undertone mixed with a fake floral scent. A scent he could remember from old, almost forgotten dreams. He rolled over to his side and slipped himself up. He blinked heavily up and saw the girl. A double nightmare, the worst kind. He felt lucid enough to take control of it and stop it before it could just as bad, if not worse than the last one.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed in disbelief as he saw the girl was taking part in his dreams again. When nightmares doubled up, they were usually at least about different people. The girl was dozing off with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her head snapped up and she looked at him with no fear, but rather sleepy curiosity. "Get out of here!" he roared at his nightmare's repeated vision. He wished he would just wake up instead. Still stuck in the dream. The girl scrambled off the bed like a rabbit and reached the door. However, once her hand landed on the knob, she froze. She looked back at him, eyes narrowed defiantly. "What are you waiting for?!" He wanted her out of the room, so she would be out of this nightmare. Let someone he had not just watched die haunt his dreams. The girl turned around and faced him down, no fear was readable anywhere in her body language. Same as she was in his nightmares about her before. He left the bed next, rounding on her, wanting to force her out of this dream alive. "Get out," he ordered, willing her to turn mousy as he gripped tightly on his upper arm. He could feel the hardened muscles beneath his palm.

The girl's eyes never changed. She was unnaturally unafraid of him. He willed her to panic and try to flee. "No," she resolved. "I want you to take me as your mate," she rushed out the demand. He hated it when his dreams played out like this. One had been about her killing all the other women who could be from the mate's curse so she could be the one. Then she had demanded he claim her. That dream had also ended and allowed him to wake up finally. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare before he injured or killed her again. "I love you," she rushed out. Words like that had to be from a dream. The wind mage was the one she was meant to be with. It twinged knowing those words were not real.

He felt surprised at how authentic her voice sounded, its own unique melody echoed through this dream. Part of him wanted to keep her talking just to hear it a little bit longer. "Are you sure?" he asked, trying to get her talk. To hear the voice that could whimper and moan so innocently no matter what he had been doing to her.

"Yes," that sweet voice breathed confidently. What she asked for was going to be a terrifying ordeal, yet she wanted it.

"Do you really want to die?" he egged her on to get her voice talking some more. She scowled at him, mouth staying shut tight. "When you die, I won't take the blame," he warned, trying to get her to speak. "Get on the bed then. Before I change my mind." The sooner he tried to bit her, the sooner he could wake up.

She was not acting like the real girl he remembered. The dream girl slid her hand back to click the lock shut without dropping her gaze. Her gaze did not break even as he squeezed as hard as he dared on her arm. She brushed his hand off of her arm. She side stepped him, sauntering her way over to the bed. He trailed behind, standing very near her, remembering that smell he liked and the voice he liked to hear.

Before the dream ended, he wanted to see her naked one more time. He reached over to her sitting form ripped her shirt off without a second thought.

"Hey-" she sniped.

This was his dream, so he could do what he wanted. "Shut up," he responded, not wanting the dream girl to get in the way of what he wanted now. He reached down to her front and pulled off her bra just as roughly. She jumped, but did not cover herself right away. When she started to move to do so, he shoved her down to her back, dug his fingers underneath the hem of her pants and panties and yanked them down to the ground. She squirmed, but hardly covered herself. "Do you know what I am going to do to you?" he asked, looking her body over. He had not fully realized how much he missed it. She nodded up at him. It was his dream, so she had to know what was happening. He saw a flash of the fox telling her what would happen in a mate claim. He shook his head slightly at the odd intrusion. The fox would never do that. Much too protective. "Good," he commented, undressing himself quickly. He looked down at her body, she had her chest partly covered by her arms and legs closed. As he brought himself over top of her, she straightened her body out beneath him. He knew once he reached this point in this dream, once he went to bite, she would be gone and he would wake up. Or was it he would wake up and she would be gone?

He looked down at her beneath him, fright mixed with fear all over her angelic face. The same face that held on to its purity in spite of all he knew she had been through. He brought his mouth down to her neck, caught up between wanting to bite and not wanting this to end anymore. He nuzzled her sweet scented flesh, searching out a place to make the first bite that would be the less damaging. He found the sweet spot half way between her jugular vein and spin. "Put your hands on my shoulders," he instructed. She did as she was bid. Her hands were firm with just a hint of a tremble. He could almost recall the last time she laid beneath him like this. That would be a slightly normal, but bold reaction of the girl. But the one beneath him was not real, could not be real. "Count to five," he instructed, wanting to hear her speak something one last time before he woke up. "When I bite, push me away." That should be enough to finally wake up.

"One," she panted out. Once he heard her voice speak, he brought his teeth down on her neck hard, knowing this would wake him up.

Only it did not. He heard her voice let out an unsavory scream as the taste of blood flooded his mouth. This time the blood was not his as he was accustomed to waking up and tasting. This blood was silvery sweet with an undertone of metallic sharpness. This was human. This blood was real. This blood was Nanashi's.

His mind went blank for a second, brought back when she was shoving him away. He tore himself away from her neck, but did not raise his head up very much farther away. She slipped her hand between them and covered up her neck. She looked up at him, panicky. "You lied to me," she said in disbelief.

As he looked down at her, he tried to resist the urge to swallow the taste of the blood out of his mouth. The taste was beyond expected, beyond good, beyond delicious. "I said count to five. I didn't say I'd bite on five. We've only just begun." He felt worn out still, caught between the desire to go for more or to stop and send her away for real before this got any worse.

The girl pulled her hand away from her neck wound and examined it, exposing the room to a more potent scent of her blood once more. He saw the red at the side of her fingers, so close, too close to resist. He grabbed her hand by the palm, bringing her finger tips into her mouth and licked and cleaned the remnants from them. The taste was dangerously addictive. He wanted more.

He shoved his hand out of the way and went for her chest, biting down where his eye teeth landed at the center of her chest, slicing deeper than he had with her neck. He drank greedily from the wound, feeling more alert now than ever. Inexorable proof that she was really there and he was really awake. That this was really happening. The taste was better than from her neck. This blood was richer and spiked with arousal and excitement. A spark of fear jumped into the taste as well. She was trying now to get in the way of that. She was screaming and shoving his shoulders, making his already unstable state of being push dangerously over the edge of losing control. The heel of her hand came down with a brutal force above his ear. The reaction he had to her blow kicked him into a loss of self control and let his instincts take over.

His blood boiled in rage as he slid down into his wild demon form. She was still screaming for him to stop. Her sound was distracting him from the deliciousness of her blood. She kept fighting back, refusing to be subdued. Her hand slapped his face with surprising force, making him angrier. He took his mouth from her chest and let loose a guttural growl at her. She brought her hand back down to strike him a second time. Her speed was no match for his in this state. He took her hand in his, pulled it towards his mouth, and bit into it with a crushing force. The taste was still enjoyable, but not as much as her chest. He wanted to go back to it, but she was distracting him. She kept fighting, trying to yank her hand out of his mouth. He felt a crack reverberate through his jaw.

"Hiei, stop," she cried out desperately. "Finish it," she begged.

He took a second to remember what she was talking about. He then recalled the third bite needed to be made. And then she needed to be... enjoyed as he made her his. He let her hand go and growled at her, intentionally trying to scare her as it would spike her adrenaline, making her blood taste all the more sweeter. Her uninjured hand covered her eyes as he heard her breath rattled. She was more scared now, trembling beneath him. He brought his teeth down to her center, biting with his eye teeth and two sets of his front teeth as deep as he could get them to go. The blood issuing from this deepest wound flowed freely. He drank deeply, sucking it down as quick as he could, trying not to choke. She kept screaming, kept struggling, kept trying to push him away. His hands locked around her wrists, gripping them as tight as he could as he pinned them down to her sides. He felt his grip go slick as his nails dug into her soft flesh. Anything to keep her from distracting him from her taste.

"Stop!" she whimpered, kicking her legs, bucking her hips, and yanking at her arms. The taste was so good, too good to stop. He felt her blood flow slow down, much to his annoyance. Each swallow made him desire it even more. He sucked harder at the wound, having to pause as he choked in his earnest. "Sstopp..." she murmured. Her voice was too soft and he realized she had stopped struggling.

"Fuck," he swore under his breath. The scent of her blood permeated the air as she palled beneath him. She was panting in and out with shallow breaths. He had to finish it now. "Mine," he barely hissed under his breath.

He pulled himself off of her, turned her over, and put her on her elbows and knees. She let him move her the way he wanted her. He pressed her wrists on the bed, a half thought to staunch the bleeding from those wounds too. He brought his knees down to the bed behind her and shoved himself inside of her; going as hard, deep, and fast as he possibly could. Her voice only echoed a pained whimper in reaction. She was amazingly tight. He wanted to bite her again so bad, to feel the two ecstasies mingled together. He settled for spilling more of it as he dug his nails into her thighs and ran them up and down. She tightened up and whimpered in response. The smell danced in his nose, making him as if he could almost taste it again. He felt himself come hard inside of her, sealing the mate claim permanently.

He collapsed to the side of her, panting as his high from the claim came down. He felt himself go lighted headed and his head nodded and his eyes closed. His stomach hurt to much to even think about going back to sleep just yet. He straightened his back and rubbed the front of his stomach, easing the ache caused by it being too full...

Too full. His groggy mind went clear, waking and sobering him up. It took him a second to recall exactly why he should feel so full. His eyes snapped open, looking next to him in horror at Nishi's unconscious body laying limply next to him, most of the way on her stomach. The white bed sheets were turning ruby red beneath her.

"No," he panicked. "No no no no no. Not again." She could not die because this time it was real. He turned her sheet white body over onto her back, looking at the crimson horror that was now the fronts and the sides of her thighs and her center. Her wrists and hand were just as bad. In a rush, he covered her legs and lower arms up, trying to cover the bleeding. Her breathing was shallow and strangled. He pressed down over her wrists. "Wake up," he ordered her, shaking her wrists. "Wake up." He brought his hands to the tops of her shoulders and shook her as hard as he dared. "Nanashi!" he shouted at her in the face, shaking her harder. "Nanashi! Wake up!" he shouted as he cracked his hand across her face.

She took a deep, shuttering breath, eyes fluttering open. She turned and scrambled from beneath him. She hung her head over the bed and threw up. Her head hung where it lay as she went still. She was near death, too near.

He ran to the door and screamed out into the hallway: "I need a healer! Now!"

He heard two sets of feet come running rapidly towards him. The head healer was a female, but behind her was a male healer. Without even thinking about it, he shoved passed the female healer, pushing her towards the room where Nanashi lay. He rounded on the male healer, shoving him against the wall and snapping his neck without thinking about it. "Mine," he growled down at the corpse below him.

He heard a raging scream behind him. He charged back into the room, seeing a very panicked female healer setting already to work at the girl's body. "Are you an idiot!?" The healer raged at him as she held the girl's right hand and arm in hers, healing it with a stunning golden glow. "Why would you mate claim a human?! Unprepared!" He watched her in disbelief as she healed Nishi and screamed at him at the same time. "Come on you stupid human, come on, keep breathing," she muttered down at her. "Don't just stand there!" the healer turned back to him. "Cover up the other wounds with the sheet and hold them down. Apply as much pressure as you can." He did as she bid, knowing it would help save Nishi. The healer took her other hand in hand, healing it too. Nishi was struggling to breathe, gasping shallowly. "Oh don't you dare," the healer hissed down at Nishi. The healer turned back to him, eyes cold and ablaze. "Did you make the claim? A true one?"

"Yes," he heard himself admit.

"Then you need to slit your wrist right now and give her mate blood," the healer instructed, digging a small knife she had sheathed on her waist and throwing it in his direction. "She needs a kick to keep her alive, to keep her breathing."

His hand shook as drew the blade deeply across his left wrist. The blade was thin and sharp. He went to where Nishi's head lay, brought his right hand up to cup the back of her neck and pressed his left wrist onto her mouth, wriggling it so she would open her jaw more. She choked and sputtered as she swallowed the blood that flowed into her mouth.

"You're sure this will help her?" he asked the healer in disbelief.

"Yes," she bit back. "At least it should. It certainly would if she were demon. Keep her head as low as you can though. Less strain on her heart. Small favors that you mated a wind mage. She shouldn't die from lack of oxygen, but still in bad shape from blood loss." Her words sent their own set of chills down his spine. She could still die.

The healer dropped Nishi's wrist and was now set to healing her thighs and center. Nishi raised her right hand up in the air. Her eyes were hardly open as she looked at him without seeming to actually see him. Her head moved away from his hand and she tried to close her mouth.

"Drink," he told Nishi beneath him, hoping she would comply. She opened her mouth a little wider in compliance. "Are you sure my blood will help her?" he asked the healer.

"Again, yes," the healer snapped back. One leg was now completely healed and she was working on her other one.

Nishi's body went limp, mouth slacking. She was still swallowing thankfully.

The healer finished with both of Nishi's legs and turned her hand to her center. "Don't worry, I won't heal the bite completely," she snapped at him before he could protest. "You shouldn't have bitten so hard or deep!"

"Focus on her," he harshly replied.

"Shut up! I am!" She pulled her hands away from Nishi.

"Keep healing her!" he shouted back.

"I've finished," she hissed. "But if you want me to help to continue to keep her alive, you owe me big."

He felt sickened with the healer's ultimatum. "Anything if she lives," he promised. He was unsure which idea was more terrifying; the idea that he had claimed Nishi or the idea of what would happen if she died right afterwards.

"Good," the healer responded. "Now, that's enough blood for her for now. Get some pants on while I wrap her up in the sheets. Did you really need to tear off her clothing?" He pulled himself away from Nishi and shrugged his pants back on while the healer wrapped the bloodied sheets around Nishi and slung her over her shoulder.

Hiei closed the distance between them and took Nishi away from the healer and cradled her listless form in his arms.

"Keep her head as level as you can," the healer reminded him. "We need to get her out of this room and far from it. Any other males stupid enough to come near here because of the scent of the human blood will drive you insane. You took in too much of her blood. The more a new mate ingests, the more aggressive they are to others they see as threats to their mates. Come on," she jerked her head towards the door as she ran through it and down the hall. He followed her with Nishi in his arms. He kept her head as level as possible.

A new figure crossed their path as they reached a staircase. "Junko, there you are!" a short, green eyed, and blonde demoness said. She looked more like a sprite than a demon. Her arms were filled with pristine, white bandages. "I found more bandages like you asked and I -" when he gaze come upon Nishi, she dropped the bandages to the floor and brought her hands over her mouth. Hiei pulled Nishi's body closer in response. She was growing too cold for comfort.

"Don't scream, don't scream," the healer warned the new demon, covering her hand over the sprite's mouth. "Shh, shh, shh, Midori, shh," she soothed. The sprite looked up at her, visibly shaken. "Listen, I need you to do something very important. I need you to go down the hall and do everything you can to get the sight and scent of blood out of that room." The healer pointed down the hallway at the room they had just left. "Bleach, fire, whatever it takes." The healer took her hand off of the sprite's mouth.

The sprite swallowed thickly, frightened eyes trained on Nishi. "She looks like Maki did-"

"She's not going to end up that way," the healer cut her off. "Please, just please do what I asked."

The healer side stepped around the sprite and ran up the stairs two at a time. Hiei raced after her, surprised at how quickly the healer could move. She led him to the seventh floor of the castle, opening up a door to a room that gave off a strong scent of another male demon.

"Not this room!" he quipped at her, backing away.

"It's the room of the man you killed before I saved your mate's life. No one is going to use it and no one is going to suspect you are here. You need to be kept out of sight of anymore male demons while her blood is in your system. You will kill someone else if you're not careful." Hiei stood his ground, scowling at her. "Damn it, my room is too far away... Ugh, come on then. You can use my sister's room then."

She led him three doors down into another room. This one spelled like the sprite. The sprite was female, so it would have to do.

At the healer's lead, he laid Nishi down on the rug on the floor. The healer went to the sprite's bathroom, fetching a basin and four towels. Nishi was panting, chest heaving but hardly taking in any air. She was only managing to draw in shallow breaths. The healer let the basin down with a clack and dropped a strong scented bar of soap on the ground uncaringly.

"Damn it, more mate blood, now," the healer ordered him as she cradled Nishi's head in her hands. "Her heart is struggling."

Hiei dragged his teeth across his left wrist, opening the wound back up for her to drink from it. He pressed it against her mouth and let the blood drip down her throat once more. He took the healer's place in holding Nishi's head up as much as necessary, while keeping it as low to the ground as possible too.

The healer looked bitter and angry. "She's worse than I thought," panic seeping into her voice. "I thought she was fine after I healed her, but she's not!" She dipped a towel into the basin and then vigorously scrubbed the drenched towel with soap. She yanked the bloodied sheet away and began to wash the blood off of Nishi. "She's lost more blood than I originally thought. Every time she gets air hungry like that. That's a sign that she's slipping away."

He felt his own panic ready to boil over. She could not die. Not in reality. The healer continued to wash the blood off of Nishi's body. As she did so she kept checking Nishi's pulse and forehead. As she worked, she started to calm down a enough. "That's enough blood. She's breathing better now. Wash yourself off while I dress her," she instructed as she striped off her blood stained shirt and then washed the blood off of her own hands.

He did as she instructed, rubbing his skin raw trying to get it all off of him. He had to remove his pants to do it, but given the circumstances, the healer was not going to protest. The healer dressed Nishi quickly in clothing that was too small for her and scented like the sprite. The sprite's woody and floral scent corrupted Nishi's own.

When Hiei went to put his pants back on, the healer yanked them out of his grip. "Those have to be burnt. Same as my shirt. Same as that sheet," she nodded over at the bloodied sheet tossed to the side. "This rug and the towels too just in case. You can't have anything nearby that gives off the scent of her blood just in case you crave it again." He felt a quick resurgence of thirst for the very thing she warned him against. The scent of the soap hung thickly in the air, burning deep within his nostrils. "Get your mate on the bed while I burn these," she gestured to everything bloody laying around them on the floor. "Wrap her up and hold her close to get her warmer. Elevate her feet, but try to keep her head level with her chest."

He did as instructed, watching the healer bundle up the linen, tossed it all into the fire place, lit it, and then watched it smoke and finally burn; warming up the room. He took the two pillows from the bed and placed them under her feet. Next, he threw the blankets over her cold body. He then slipped under the sheets too and pulled Nishi as close as he could, not caring what the healer witnessed. She was cold, but not as cold as before thankfully. He felt exhaustion start to creep over him as the room warmed up around them. His head nodded and his eyes closed. He felt Nishi start sucking down air, panic jarring him awake. He grated his teeth across his left wrist a second time, giving her his blood for a third time.

The healer moved closer to where they lay. "You can't fall asleep," she warned him.

"For how long?" he asked, feeling weariness creeping into his voice.

"Until you know she can hold her on and keep breathing by herself. I can help you as long as I can, but I have rounds to make as well. Their are others who need healed in this tournament too."

"You can't leave. She still needs you." Nishi was listless, breathing normally once more. He brought his wrist from her mouth. Wiping the residual blood off of her mouth. He looked at his wrist, unsure what to do to staunch the bleeding. The healer pulled his hand over, wrapping it up carefully with a bandage she produced from her pocket. "What room is yours? I or my sister can fetch you some new clothing." Looking up at her face, her eyes gave a haunted look that told a secret, sorrowful story of its own.

He told her the room number and she left. He felt an uncomfortable weight settle around the room with the absence of the healer. He kept Nishi close, pushing his own body temperature up higher, to keep her warm. He wanted the healer back, now, in case something went array. He blinked sleepily at his own weariness and the warmth he and the fire place were giving off. He could not sleep. He could not let himself sleep.

Outside the room, outside the castle, one energy spike followed by several more spiked up in the distance. The power was awesome, making himself pant deeply and break out in a cold sweat. The energy spikes woke him up, giving him a second wind. He felt his own desire to join in the spikes, but dared not move away from Nishi, who was now stirring in his arms. He was hopeful that she would wake up. Instead she stayed asleep, but started mumbling.

"Hiei... I love you..."

It was good to know when she meant it at least. And that she truly had to be the woman from that witch of a mate's curse. He was unsure what to make of that. How real or not real it could be when she did not have a choice in the matter.

The sprite came rushing into the room, stumbling from her speed, and ended up falling on the floor. Her sudden presence jarred him from his thoughts. The clothing she had been carrying in her tumbled out all over the floor. The healer walked up behind her, shut the door, and stepped around her, carrying an IV set in tow. The sprite stood up, mumbling under her breath in her embarrassment. Hiei scowled at her. The sprite notice he was staring at her. She pursed her lips, looking fearful of him.

"Here," the healer grumbled, setting up the stand for the IV she had just set on the bed. Next she hooked the IV to the stand. After that, she pulled Nishi's arm over towards her, massaging her inner forearm. When the healer went to slip the needle into Nishi's arm, Hiei yanked it out of her grip, not liking the idea of her being injured. "You've got to be kidding me," the healer snapped at him as he cradled her arm as close as he could to his chest. "She might have be able to keep herself from asphyxiation, but her blood pressure is too low. Her heart is strained by it. She needs fluids if she's going to live. And before you ask, I've checked. This IV is safe for humans as well." Hiei pushed Nishi's arm back towards the healer rather unwillingly. The healer took it back in her hands, renewing her massage to Nishi's inner forearm. "Look away and don't screw her over by attacking me over this." He looked away, gazing over at the sprite instead. The sprite had piled up the clothing in her arms and stopped short in her tip toe over towards the bed when he saw her. "It's in," the healer informed him. "Do not rip it out," the healer ordered him as his eyes crept down to where the needle was in Nishi's arm.

He saw the needle sticking out of her forearm, amazed at how the healer had managed to even get the needle into her in the first place, how she managed to find a vein. At the sight of it, he felt a flash of anger that made him want to rip the needle out and attack the healer for doing that in the first place. He stopped when he looked down at Nishi and saw she had started shivering. He pulled her closer, noticing she started to feel colder than she had originally when he had warmed her up.

"Why is she colder?" he growled, pulling her against him and then reaching over to take the needle out, worried the IV was the cause.

The healer grabbed his hand, staying it from pulling out the needle. "You rip that out and she's good as dead," the healer told him bluntly. With a grumble, he yanked his own arm away. "The fluids are colder than her body temperature, so her body needs to warm them up. She has been warming up while I was gone, which is good. Midori, give him his clothes already." He hesitated, not wanting to pull himself away from her. "Get dressed and go back to cuddling her. You're less likely to be aroused later if you are dressed. She's not going to be in the mood for a good long while by the way."

The sprite moved cautiously over to the bed, setting them down at the foot and then scurrying away. "I hope these are yours," she mumbled. "I did forget the room number at first-"

"I told you it several times and had you repeat it back," the healer snapped at the frightened sprite. To Hiei she turned and asked, "was she always this pale?" as he crawled out of the bed to get dressed.

Hiei went to answer, but stopped when he heard the sprite give off a surprised squeal, back facing him. She had her hands covering her red face in embarrassment. He gave the sprite a confused look as he put his own clothing back on, minus his cloak, which he held in his hands. He noticed then she had brought his sword with him as well, which was good. He would keep it nearby.

"Grow up Midori," the healer snapped at the sprite. "You acted as if you've never seen a naked man before. He's mated anyway. And I don't think the human is going to get up and attack you for looking at him."

Hiei climbed back into the bed, pulling away the bed sheets from Nishi and wrapped her up in his cloak; intending to make her smell more like him and less like the sprite. She was his, not hers. He started to feel like he did not want the sprite in the room. Plus it would keep her warm.

The healer was snapping her fingers at him as he pulled Nishi close, covering her up once more with the bed sheets. "Was she always this pale? I swear, you better know the answer to that."

He looked down at Nishi as he tilted her head up to see her face clearly. He licked the tip of his thumb and dragged it across her lips, trying to get his left over blood off of her lips. Once they were clean, he looked her face over clearly. It was too white compared to what he remembered. Her lips were the same color as the rest of her face. "No," he replied. "She's usually a bit darker."

The healer rubbed her slick brow with the back of her hand. "In that case, I think it would be better if she had a second IV once she has finished the first one..." she thought aloud.

Before Hiei could think to respond, he noticed the sprite was much to close to the bed for comfort. She was standing at the foot of the bed, leaning over with a frightful curiosity right at Nishi. "I've never seen a human up close before," she spoke a little too loudly.

Before he had realized he had moved, the healer had her firm hands on his shoulders, pushing him back towards where Nishi lay. She was shaking her head and speaking in a hurry, "keep her warm, keep her warm. If she gets too cold, she'll die. So you really need to stay with her and keep her warm."

Hiei sunk down back to Nishi, pulling her close without taking his eyes off of the sprite who was now standing half a room a way, crying out of fear. He growled at her without even thinking about it.

"What did you do?" the healer rounded on the sprite.

"I didn't do anything I-" the sprite strained to say.

"You've done something to set him off, something to make him feel like you are a threat! He wouldn't have tried to charge you if that wasn't the case."

"I don't know-"

"Midori-" the healer half whined. She looked down at Hiei and Nishi. "You need to get out of here before you set him off again."

"But I want to help!" the sprite fully whined out.

"I know, but he might feel like you threatened her again, and I might not be able to snap him out of it a second time." The sprite looked full at the healer, blinking rapidly and struggling to keep her breathing under control. "There are other combatants and healers that need help."

The sprite's response was sharp, loud, and unintelligible. When she stomped her foot on the ground, Hiei growled at her in response as he pulled Nishi as close as he possibly could. The sprite heard him, panicked, and out the door, slamming the door with a loud bang. He pulled away from Nishi and sat up. He put his arm out in front of her protectively and watched the door intently.

"Midori means well," the healer croaked out. He went back to Nishi, pulling her closer; liking that he smelled himself on her more than he could smell the sprite. "I don't know what you found threatening, but she couldn't hurt a fly in a fit." The healer rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. "I'm going to track down another IV that will work for her. Can you try not to attack anyone while I'm gone?" She shook her head. "Just stay awake and keep her warm. That's probably the most you can do to help her right now..." A heavy pause settled around the room where neither of them spoke. "I need to go check on others. I'll be back within the hour to check on her and give her another IV. It thins her blood, but she could use it." She waved at them as she walked through the door, shutting it with a quieted thud.

Nishi shifted slightly, so he brought her as close as he possibly could to him. She was warming up again, smelling more like herself and himself and less like the sprite, which was good. He felt an uneasy grogginess settle over himself, but he dare not fall asleep. When he felt like she was too warm, he rose up, pulled the chair that was over by the fire place next ot where she lay, and sat down comfortably in it, watching Nishi intently from his nearby seat. She was beyond pale, but breathing regularly and deeply thankfully. He brought his hand over to hers, holding the warmed thing gently. Her skin was still so soft, despite everything she had been through.

He had no clue how many minutes had passed when the door open softly and slowly. He tensed up as he saw Mukuro standing in the doorway, looking in cautiously with the frightened little sprite on hand. "You can go now," Mukuro told the sprite. The sprite did not need telling twice as she sprinted away from the scene. Mukuro cautiously stepped across the door's thresh hold, eyeing him carefully.

"What do you want Mukuro?" he snapped at her.

Mukuro paused in the room, looking Nishi over with an unamused scowl at the sight of his hand holding hers. Hiei held on to it to steadfastly in spite of her heavy gaze.

"I see I found you first. What did you do to the little slut? Looks half dead. Were you too rough with her?"

Hiei's spare hand went to his hip, where his sword now rested in its rightful place. Mukuro was coming much to close to her for comfort. "Stay away from her," he hissed at his own friend.

Mukuro desisted in her approach, but looked over at the sleeping Nishi. "Kiss too hard?"

Hiei bristled, trying to keep himself in check. Trying to not get angry with Mukuro being so close to Nishi, trying not remember that Mukuro stood by when Nishi was touched so inappropriately by Rin in the tournament. "None of your business," he snarled.

Both of them froze when Nishi mumbled an ill timed phrase, possibly in response to the mounting tension in the room: "I love you..." she whispered.

Mukuro's face revealed that if she did not know about the mate claim, she did now. "Her? You could do so much better! A weak, pathetic human!" She was clearly struggling now to keep her own temper in check, at risk to setting him off.

"She kept me calm during a night terror. I heard her say she loved me for the first time in that dream," he confessed openly. "I tried to make her run, but she refused. She offered herself to me, knew exactly what I would do, and still wanted me. I couldn't resist. It was just so tempting."

"Then you should have thrown her out!" Mukuro raged at him. "Or taken her one last time and killed her without remorse."

Mukuro's rage was too overbearing to even consider letting her stay nearby. "Get out," he ordered her. "I don't trust you with her."

Mukuro scowled down at him as she stepped back out of the room, slamming the door with a snap as she left. Nishi slept on, blissfully unaware of the argument that just went down. It reminded him that if he wanted to keep Nishi in the Demon World, he would have to either take her to Mukuro's castle or find another place. He wanted to stay with Mukuro, but if he could not trust Mukuro with Nishi, then he began to consider the possibility of taking her with him to the Hayato clan. He would have to protect her from ever being questioned like he had been. He still had his open invitation to the clan from the mate. It would be better for her than going nomad. It was evident that neither of them had thought this claim out before she so hastily offered herself up to him. He also wonder how real her claims of love could be now that it was evident she was the woman from the mate's curse.


	58. Chapter 58

After being healed up from a handful of somewhat over insistent healers, Kurama was tired, but restless. Now that he was out of the tournament based on his previous injuries in his last fight, he stilled had to be weary of Yomi over his taken interest in Nanashi. Yomi was still participating in the tournament, so now was the best time he had to get her out of this world and into the Human World where she could hopefully be kept safe from him. He tracked down Koemna first, who was with Botan, warning both of them briefly and discreetly of Yomi's plan to mate claim Nanashi for political reasons. Once both were informed, they split off, trying to find her.

The longer it took him to look for her, the more disconcerted Kurama felt. The castle was not that big. Nanashi had been last seen with Botan and Koenma, but had disappeared from view shortly after Hiei's match against Mukuro. He worried that Yomi might have sent one of his to kidnap her a second time and taken back to his castle to wait for him.

He found Jin in his search. Jin was searching for her as well, a bit too desperate in his explanations about how he yelled at her and how he wanted nothing more to track her down and beg her forgiveness. It was all too heavy and too demanding for him to handle at that moment. He warned him to continue to look for her and to let him know as soon as he found her.

He got to the point where he felt panic set in and he began trying to check room by room in his search on the sixth floor of the castle. It was an illogical place to start his sweep search, but he was desperate to make sure she was kept out of Yomi's grasp.

At the fourteenth room he searched on that floor, he reached the end stairwell; unsure if he should search the rest of the floor, go on to the higher floors next, or the lower floors instead. He paused in his mental deliberation, trying desperately to sense her somewhere. He was jarred from his search at the sound of light footsteps slipping down the stairs. A young demoness sprinted passed him on the stairs in a wake of wavy blonde hair. He called after her to wait, but she kept running. He chased her down, catching her down by the fifth floor.

He stopped her, pulling her arm over to him. She looked as frightened as a wild rabbit. "Hey, shush, hey," he breathed down at her small figure who looked up at him in wide eyed panic. "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked her soothingly.

She panicked, forming words that were too fast and too unintelligible for him to understand. He caught words like 'he', 'her', 'bite', 'didn't mean to tell', and most of all, 'claim.'

"Who?" he asked, heavy hands resting on her shoulders.

"Mukuro," she squeaked out. "I didn't mean to-" she stopped, cutting herself off as she looked behind him in her own fright.

Mukuro stood ahead of him on the stairs, watching the scene unfold before her. He felt a chill wash down his soul alone at the ferocity of the stronger demoness standing so near to him. The frightened demoness gave him the slip in that moment when he was distracted by Mukuro. He brought his hands behind his back, reaching back to the ends of his hair, should he need to grab a seed from it to defend himself.

Mukuro eyed him carefully, face unreadable. "Room 743," she told him as walked passed him down the stairs in the same direction as the rabbit-like demoness.

He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she passed him without a backward glance. He rushed up the stairwell in the direction Mukuro had come from until he reached the seventh floor. He ticked down the room numbers as he walked briskly passed each one. 733...735...737...739... at 741 he froze, sensing an emblazoned, but familiar energy behind the door 743. He had not smelled or seen anything else that could have spiked his nerves to make him want to be cautious. He knocked on the door and then stepped quickly away from it, on guard from who or what he might see from that room. The door stayed shut. He stepped towards the door, opening it quickly as it swung inwards before he backed away from it. He saw an exhausted looking Hiei standing up in a flash. The chair he had been sitting on had toppled backwards faster than he had drawn his sword.

Kurama kept his distance, using his peripheral vision to look over to the bed where Hiei stood. "No," he breathed at the sight of an incredibly pale Nanashi laying under a pile of blankets. The way her neck lay showed a small amount of bruising below her hair line. "You didn't," Kurama breathed in disbelief. The sight was just... unbelievable. He doubted it was real for a second. He was unsure if it was a relief or not that Hiei had mate claimed before Yomi even had a chance to first. But there was a level of cruelty in knowing that Jin would never get the chance to mate claim her now.

"Get out," Hiei hissed at Kurama, shifting his feet to inch forward into a stance in which he could charge.

Kurama raised his hands in the air non-threateningly. He also bent his knees generously and lowered his head as much as he felt was safe to do so. He knew the danger of a fresh mated male demon when he saw one. He trailed his eyes back over to Nanashi. The tension snapped like a rubber band when Nanashi started to pant in her sleep, gasping for breath, but hardly taking any air in. Hiei kept his gaze on Kurama as much as possible as he slid his sword into its sheath, tugged off the stained bandage on his wrist, and then dragged his teeth along the uncovered area. He slid himself down onto the bed, avoiding the IV stand that was hooked up to Nanashi's exposed arm. He sat down next to where Nanashi's head lay, bringing his right hand under her head to cradle it and brought his now bleeding left wrist down to her mouth. Kurama watched the scene in mute, but morbid fascination. It went so smoothly, like Hiei had done it all his life for her.

"How much blood did you take?" Kurama asked as softly as possible. Hiei looked up at him, narrowing his eyes and snarling slightly. "If you took too much, you know I can help you-help her. I can gather up some herbs that will help her blood replenish itself."

"Then go get it," Hiei responded.

Kurama shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to leave the room, even though the herbs would be important. He blinked, speaking softly to reduce the risk of setting him off. He could be manipulated if he thought it was good for her at least. "How did this happen?"

Hiei glanced quickly over to Kurama still standing there, scowling at him. "She offered herself. Said she loved me. You're the one who told her what would happen," he gave an almost excusitory tone.

"You didn't have to accept," Kurama responded cautiously, wondering if what he said about her loving him was true. So far Hiei had stayed calm and was still staying with Nanashi.

Hiei pulled his wrist away from her, using the back of his hand to wipe off her mouth. He rested her head down on the bed impressively gently. Kurama watched as he bound his wrist back up and then cleaned her mouth off for a second time.

"So you wanted her more than you wanted to stay in the Demon World after all," Kurama reasoned. He wondered if that could be just reasonable enough. That had to be the only reason why he would do this.

Hiei's head snapped up. "What? No," he growled. "I'm staying here. She stays with me."

Kurama gasped in surprise. "You can't be serious," he inhaled. "She's human. She's-"

"Mine," the possessive cut through the air, stunning Kurama briefly into silence.

Kurama resisted the urge to shake his head, lest it looks threatening. "The worlds are separated. She'll never see her family or friends again." His throat felt like it was thickening up. "I'll never see her after this tournament again," he added, thinking out loud. "Is the Human World that bad that you take her away from those who love her?"

Hiei had righted his chair, but had not sat back down in it. "I'm not separating her from me. It could kill her." His face read burdened as he looked down at her.

"You can't," Kurama responded louder than he intended to. Hiei tensed up at his words, hand going for his sword. Kurama risked it to keep going. "She won't like it at all if you attack me." Hiei glanced back at her, as if trying to confirm if he told him was true. His hand trembled as he removed it from his sword. "Do you even love her back?" he questioned, hoping for one answer and dreading another.

"None of your business," Hiei snapped back. "She's mine." He was tensing up again, energy spiking while he appeared to be trying to control his temper. It all lead to him beginning to shake. He was being pushed too far. Kurama knew he was running the risk of provoking him to action. "If I could go back on it, I would, but I can't, so she's mine. She's not yours. Never truly was. She's mine!" He moved on to nearly yelling. His voice was kept in check likely to not disturb her rest. The confession on top of the angry outburst was palpable.

"Do you love her?" Kurama risked the question, knowing he needed to get out of this room soon. Hiei glanced back at her again, seeming to calm down slightly at the sight of her prone form. When he did not answer, Kurama continued, "if you take her to the Demon World, then you guarantee she will never see people who actually love her for the rest of her short life. People who could keep her safe."

"Get out," was his response. "Now," he ordered, shaking some more.

Kurama stepped away backwards. He knew now was the best time to keep his distance. "If you really make her give up her world, you know it will be your responsibility to love, honor, and protect her. You made that promise when you sealed your claim." Kurama brought his hand to the door handle, pulling it closed slowly. "I promise to return later with herbs that will help her."


	59. Chapter 59

Nishi still slept on after the fox had left, promising to bring her herbs to help her. Hiei felt grouchiness over his owning mounting sleepiness as he waited impatiently for the fox to return with what he promised. The healer had come and gone twice, first with a second IV and then to remove the IV, saying she did not need anymore.

Mukuro was the one who came back next after that. Hiei watched her carefully from his roost next to Nishi on the bed. He had her head resting in his lap, stroking her long, soft, black hair. He thought vaguely about how she might fit in with the Hayato clan with it. A human that was soon going to live in the Demon World would certainly be seen as brave. Hiei watched Mukuro as she walked into the room without so much as a knock on the door. Hiei rested a protective hand on Nishi's head as Mukuro shut the door behind her.

"I need to know what you plan to do with... her," she sneered on the last word. "I sent word to Yasha to send Ayane home." Her words hinted at more than what she really said. Her voice was thick with disappointment.

"She stays with me," he stated hollowly. At least that much had been decided at present. More could be decided when she woke up. "And I want to stay with you."

Mukuro's face twitched, clearly annoyed by his words. "You have to leave her behind to stay with me. You agreed to that originally."

"Then we'll go to the Hayato clan. Anywhere but the Human World," he reasoned. Mukuro's was the most preferable option. He was unsure how the clans people would react to him bringing a human with him, but it would be better for her than going nomadic in the wilderness of the Demon World. He would have to stomach being around the mate more often, but Nishi would be safer.

Mukuro narrowed his eyes at him in reaction. "You can keep her," Mukuro gritted through her teeth. "So long as you don't fall in love with her. She the cursed one."

He looked down at the sleeping Nishi, pulling his hand away from her hair. He did not want to let her off his lap quite yet. He could feel Mukuro's heavy stare. "Deal," he breathed out and nodded. He tried not to think about how possible such a deal would be. Underneath it all, he still had a sinking feeling of regret mixed with something else with equal heftiness.

He gave a jump when Mukuro began to speak. "When's the last time you slept?" She asked him, notably disgruntled.

The very idea of sleeping, however tempting, was resistible so long as Nishi slept on. He slid his hand back up to rest on Nishi's sleeping head as he shook his own head. "Not while she sleeps."

"You need to sleep too," Mukuro nearly scolded him.

"No," he simply refused, feeling his muscles grow tenser. He felt an ache go through them like an afterthought.

Mukuro must have sensed his tension. "When you change your mind, call for me," she instructed.

She slipped out the door faster than he could have noticed. It made him tense up even more, realizing she could have gone after Nishi had she really wanted to. Slipping his hand up to his forehead, he pulled off his head band, figuring now was the best time of any look inside Nishi's mind to see exactly what she had thought to be doing.

He saw the truth; he saw far back enough to see the moment she realized she had fallen in love with him. He saw the impulsive reason she lied about the fox over him to her friend as she had thought he would find that lie less offensive than had she wrote about him instead. He saw her encompassed grief when he left. He saw her restless boredom and her desire to go back to the Demon World; an unorthodox desire for a full bred human. He saw her jump at the chance to serve Yomi alongside the fox because it allowed her a chance to return to the Demon World. He saw her succumb to the wind mage's seduction and invite him into her bed and the old psychic's reaction to it. He saw her train and grow stronger both at the old psychic's compound and then at Yomi's castle. He saw that in spite it all, she more or less painfully clung to her love of him, even as she gave in to the wind mage's advances. Only being cursed to feel that way made sense.

After seeing so much through her resting mind, he wanted to pull away from her. He laid her back down on her back on the bed and went to resting on the chair. Uncaringly, he sat down on it backwards, watching her face intently, struggling to truly figure out her motives even after reading her mind, slipping in and out of it briefly from temptation. His sleep deprived brain kept reaching for the thought that it was because she was the woman cursed inadvertently by the mate. It was the only thing that made sense.

He jumped drowsily as he noticed she began to stir. The first thing she did was scrunch up her face and then drew a deep breath. She sat up in a rush, eyes suddenly wide open and staring ahead of her unseeing. Next her eyes rolled back and her upper body fell fluidly back down to the bed. He sat watching her, stunned and waiting impatiently to see what she would do next. Her eyes batted open, blinking up at the ceiling. Her hand slipped up from the underneath the covers and she used it to roll herself over to her side to face him. She stopped moving and stared at him a little too long with a ghostly expression.

She tried to swallow and immediately winced. "Water..." she requested with a pitiful voice. After the request, she laid her head back down on the pillow.

He left the room, wanting to get her the water she wanted more than he did not want to leave her alone. He knew what room to fetch water from on this floor thanks to the healer. When he closed the door, he came across two other male demons. At the sight of them being too close to the door, too close to Nishi, he cut them down without even thinking about it. Once finished, he made his way quickly down the hallway to the room the healer had indicated. The healer was in this room that seemed to a storage room for the healers.

The healer gave him a blank mixed with hopeful expression. "Is she awake finally?" the healer's voice sounded so haggard. He gave her a curt nod. The healer muttered something prayerful under her breath.

He looked around the room, locating a glass on the shelf. He took it and went to the sink by the healer. He filled it up with water and left the room, moving quickly back to the room Nishi was in. He stepped passed the dead demons without a care.

Nishi had not moved since he left, but when he set her glass of water down on the chair he had been using, he noticed she was watching him sleepily. He then climbed over and into bed with her, careful not to make her move or make her feel like she needed to move. He pulled her as careful as he could up to him. She moved like a rag doll almost. Her head came to rest on his chest. She felt warmer than she had been, which had to be good. Reaching around her, he fumbled a bit, but managed to grab the glass and pull it over to them. Awkwardly he brought the glass up to her lips, not quite sure how he managed to not spill its contents all over her as she drank from it slowly. When she finished the glass, he pulled it away and set it back on his abandoned chair. She snuggling against him now, drawing in a deep breath and heaving a contented sigh.

Curiously, he wanted to know what she was thinking, but did not want to make her speak, lest that hurt her throat. He saw her thoughts that she was grateful to be alive and happy to be his mate and not Yomi's or the wind mage's.

"Both of them wanted you?" he grumbled out loud, feeling a shiver of jealousy and defensiveness run down his spine.

She nuzzled closer to him still, hand coming to rest on his other shoulder. Without opening her eyes, he saw that she realized he was reading her mind and she took no issue with that. 'Yes. As a trophy for Yomi, but Jin,' she thought to him. Her next train of thought went to the wind mage yelling at her about how he loved her and wanted her as his mate.

Hiei bit back a hiss rising in his throat in case it frightened her. "Too bad. You're mine," he told her, pulling her closer in spite of himself.

'I love you,' she thought to him, mind starting to go foggy with drowsiness. She was so sleepy, but wanted to stay awake and to be near him.

"How many times are you going to say that tonight? Sleep now," he told her, wanting her to sleep because she would be better for it.

She had not needed to be told twice. She fell back asleep so fast, he nearly panicked and shook her back awake. He slid back into her mind and saw it was just resting thankfully. She was still so weak. Setting his own sleepiness aside, he kept her close, ensuring she stayed warm. He laid down with her, holding her close, but not daring to sleep. He wanted her better as soon as possible, wanted her blood to replenish itself faster, and most of all, wanted the fox to come back with the herbs he promised he would bring her. Mukuro had come back a third to offer for him to sleep, but he did not take her offer. Mukuro still seemed to dislike Nishi, but perhaps one day she would impress her.

His mind drifted, but stayed conscience as she slept on. He felt a sinking guilt over getting her as his mate before the wind mage could. Or even before Yomi could. Even if he had never desired her as his mate, he still felt a twisted sense of pride knowing she had chosen him over the two.

As the night slipped into morning, Nishi awoke a second time. She turned her head towards him and smiled up at him sleepily. "Are you thirsty?" he asked her, brushing a stray hair out of her face. She nodded mutely. He slipped away from her and went to the door. A tray with a note from the healer, water, and warm broth was resting just beside the door. Next to the tray lay a neatly fold pile of clothing that smelled just like Nishi. He turned to the tray. The note on it told him to give her both the water and the broth. He picked the tray up and saw a note on the outside of the door warned that there was a fresh mate claim made and male demons needed to stay away. Both the note and the sign had the same hand writing. He briefly smelled and then tasted both the water and the broth, finding they both smelled and tasted as expected, so they should be safe for her to consume.

He returned to the bed and sat the tray down on the chair he had used earlier. Nishi had sat herself up, propped up by a pillow folded in half behind her back. She silently reached out her hand and he passed her the broth first. "Thank you," she barely said through her chapped lips. She held the warm glass in both hands and did nothing else.

"Drink," he said, his own grogginess making him grouchier.

She did as she was told as she brought the glass to her lips and sipped it. "It's hot," she murmured with a hint of a smile and then took another small sip. "And good," she laughed under her breath.

After she had finished her drinks, she settled herself down in the bed that smelled mostly like herself and himself and with only a hint of the sprite remaining. The fox, visited them next, insisting on touching her to check to see if she was ill. Hiei hated watching him touch her ruefully. He kept himself from wrenching the fox from her, knowing that would upset her more than it did him to watch the fox standing so close to her.

Once the fox left, Nishi wanted to shower, rather insistently. He helped her, watching her and making sure she did not slip or pass out in the shower. From this vantage point of getting to see and assist her while she was unclothed, he felt a stir of arousal spring up within him. While she looked so physically fit, he could tell this task was arduous enough for her once she finished it. Once she was done, she dressed in the clothes the healer had left her, commenting happily about having her own clothes now as she dressed herself. It was almost a shame to see her dressed, but she would be warmer, which was more important. At least the shirt revealed her neck mate bite for anyone to see.

As she dressed, he fetched her a cup of hot water and mixed in the herbs the fox had brought her carefully. He smelled it carefully before passing it to her to drink. She took it with a soft and sleepy thank you and drank most of it as quick as she could while they both sat in a heavy silence. He tried not to think about wanting to out right lay her down and sleep with her. All she would have to do is tell him he could and lay down.

"I'm still so tired," she thought out loud, inadvertently shooting him down before he could even think to ask her for what he wanted. "The wind dragon is working over time to help me recover physically, but he's draining me spiritually," she ended with a yawn. She sat the cup of almost finished cup down on the night stand by the bed.

"Why didn't you say anything about that sooner?" he rushed out, pulling her over to him. She was still warm, so wonderfully warm. He never wanted her to be as cold as she had been after the claim again.

"Because I'm tired," she said with laugh at his reaction. "Is all this newfound cuddliness a reaction to your claim," she teased as she nuzzled neck sleepily.

He struggled to ignore the rise of lust it was getting out of him. "Where is it in your body?" he asked, trying to sense the wind dragon.

"Down in my hips," she breathed, lips barely touching the skin of his neck. He took a swift, shuddering breath in reaction. "Big bones there. More marrow."

"Of course it is," he muttered under his breath. "Lay down on your back," he instructed as he aided her into the position.

She did as he instructed, unquestioningly. Her level of trust was almost unreal after how he claimed her. He tugged her pants down just enough get his hands fully on her hips and over the bones. He caught the sense of the wind dragon stirring just beneath her skin, it was catching on to what he planned to do. So carefully, so as not to burn her, he sent his own energy into her hip and to the wind dragon to bolster its own energy to continue to help her blood replenish itself. Her hips bucked in his hands as she drew a sharp intake of breath. He rushed the energy transference after her reaction, in case it was painful for her. She gave off a pained whimper just as he finished. He pried his hands off of her hips after that, feeling mixed feelings about what he had just done to her. She had needed more energy, but in doing so she had been subjected to the heat of his raw energy in the process.

"I almost forgot how hot you were," she murmured, raising her head up to his, kissing his lips softly. "Thank you." He pulled himself away, worried he would react the way he wanted to. He pulled her pants back up when he would have rather pulled them completely off. He could feel a residual bit of heat coming off her hips.

He reached over and handed her the cup that had not been finished yet. "Finish it," he said as she took it from him.

"Yes sir," she teased out before draining the cup. She licked her lips after finishing the drink. He struggled to ignore the rise she was getting out of him. "What?" she asked him.

He realized he had still been staring at her lips. "You need to sleep some more," he told her, wondering if she was recovered enough that he could do so himself. He knew he would not yet because he had no clue how her body would react to the herbs the fox gave her. He felt he could trust the fox, but still had to make sure she was okay.

"You don't need to tell me twice," she sassed as she laid herself down under the sheets and on her side. She reached her hand out for him, grabbing his own and holding it firmly, even as her arm went limp as she drifted off to sleep.

As he watched her sleep, he felt annoyed that his desire for her had not drifted away as easily as she had drifted off to sleep. When she was fully asleep, he laid her hand back down on the bed and sat beside her on the bed, not risking getting any closer now. He wanted her again and too soon for her to have recovered enough for the thought running through his mind. Soon she should be back to her normal level of energy, but there was no way she was ready for what he wanted to do presently.

As she settled down into her rest, breathing steady and peaceful, Hiei heard shout from the hallway. She stirred in reaction. Hiei rose up and left the room, intent on stopping the person who continued to shout.


	60. Chapter 60

"Isn't there another way, some other way?" Kurama asked, voiced strained. He was standing in the hallway of the fifth floor, talking with Koenma. Botan was standing nearby, uncomfortable at watching the spat.

"As I've told you before, I can't authorize a portal between the Demon World and Human World like that. The Spirit World and the Human World yes, but I can only get a portal between the Human World and Demon World under emergencies only. A homesick demon hardly counts as an emergency."

Kurama heaved an annoyed sigh. They were just talking in circles. "Why not? It could be a service to him as a spirit detective in the Human World. He helped saved that world just as much as anyone else did. He could take that as payment instead of the money sitting untouched in his Human World bank account."

"I can't, Koenma argued back. "I can't give him a portal to the Demon World if he goes with Nanashi to live in the Human World and vice versa. They can't be separated, so they need to decide which world they want to live in."

"You're not going to be able to convince them to pick the Human World over the Demon World. Both want to live in the Demon World."

"Well then, they need to be convinced of how terrible of an idea that is. I don't care how strong she is, she's not safe in this world permanently."

A third voice joined in the conversation, "who are you talking about?" All three of them turned and saw Yusuke walking over to them in a slow and steady pace.

"Yusuke," Koenma breathed, breaking the silence. "I see you're awake," he commented.

Yusuke stretched his arms up and nodded. "Yeah, I feel like I've slept forever. I heard about Enki. Total dark horse, am I right?" When the three of them kept quiet and just looked between themselves. "What's going on? Why are you all so quiet suddenly?"

Kurama kept silent, trying to sort out what to say and how to break the news.

"Yusuke," Botan said his name so quietly. It seemed like she would be the one to speak. Probably the best of the three of them to do it. She would be able to speak the most delicately. "It's Nanashi..."

"Yeah, what about her?" Yusuke responded, tensing up in reaction. "Is she the one you were talking about?" No one spoke. "What terrible idea is she trying to do now? I heard about the one in Genkai's house. I forgot how bad she was at thinking things through."

Botan was the one who spoke up again. "Yes, but it's not a completely terrible idea, but she's um..." As Botan's voice tapered off, Yusuke began to look more worried.

Koenma spoke next, "do you know what it means for someone to be mate claimed? In the demon sense?"

Yusuke furrowed his brow, still not getting quite the whole story, which made him look even more concerned. "No, what is it? What did she do?"

Kurama took up the turn to speak next. "It's essentially the way demons marry. The claim is made for life-"

"She got married!" Yusuke shouted out, loud voice echoing off the walls. "Who the hell to?" None of them answered. Kurama was unsure how to explain what happened delicately enough, not wanting to set Yusuke off. His face lit up out of realization. "Oh, of course! Did she and Jin freaking elope or something? Those two could have at least have had the decency to wait until I was awake," he ended with a hint of a laugh. He behaved as if he enjoyed the thought of that.

"What?" Koenma jumped in next. "Why do you think it's Jin?"

Yusuke looked at him confused. "How about the fact that I saw them kissing before the tournament? She admitted she's become a bad ass, what with the kissing demons and all that."

Kurama went to speak carefully, but Botan stepped in, "Yusuke, it's not Jin. It's Hiei."

Yusuke stared at her, dumbfounded. Kurama waited for an opportunity to step in and delicately explain, but before the moment could arise, Yusuke was half speaking, half laughing. "You've got to be kidding me, right? I don't even think I've seen him be nice to her before. Or never seen her not terrified in his presence. The two of them just don't... fit... So where's Jin and Nanashi?" He kept trying to give off a fake laugh that was not fooling anyone.

"It's true," Kurama told him. "I've seen Hiei with her. He's very protective and focused on taking care of all her needs. It was a rough claim, but she's recovering."

Yusuke looked shocked and then angry. "What do you mean she's recovering? Where are they?" His voice brokered not games.

Botan spoke next, trying to talk soothingly. "Hiei got... too agressive. A healer was in the right place at the right time. She healed Nanashi immediately afterwards and found them a private room up on the healers and their staffs' floor."

"The healers' floor?" Yusuke asked. "That's the seventh floor," he thought out loud before he turned around and started sprinting away from the three of them.

"Yusuke! Stop!" Kurama yelled after him, but it feel on deaf ears. Predicting where he was headed, Kurama ran after him, hearing Botan trying and failing to keep up behind him. Kurama slowed down just enough for her to catch up to him before he grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her onward to run at his pace. Koenma was thankfully smart enough to know not to follow.

By the time Kurama managed to drag Botan to catch up with Yusuke, Yusuke was already at the seventh floor, shouting and banging on the doors, "Nanashi! Hiei! Get out here right now!"

Kurama closed the distance between the two of them and Yusuke as he saw Hiei exited the room he and Nanashi had occupied. As Hiei moved towards Yusuke menacingly, Kurama shoved the breathless Botan between the two of them, throwing off both angry men. Yusuke stopped moving, looking rather confused and said her name questioningly. Hiei stopped short, sword in hand. Kurama had taken a risk and guessed right that Hiei would not see Botan as a threat and would halt in any possible attack he would do to Yusuke. With his sword out, he was clearly still overly protective.

"Botan, whatever you do, don't move away from Yusuke," Kurama instructed her. She was doubled over, panting and red faced. He was not quite sure if she had nodded at him or not.

Hiei looked annoyed at the sight, but made no move to attack Botan. "Move," he ordered in a quiet tone to the grim reaper in front of him. She looked at him and clearly shook her head as she straightened her back up and held her arms out in front of Yusuke. "Move now or else," he challenged. The tension hung thick in the air. Kurama knew he needed to get Yusuke out of there immediately.

Yusuke did not help the matter as he began to shout from behind Botan. "Where is she?! Where is Nanashi?! What the hell did you do to her?!"

"Yusuke, be quiet," Kurama ordered him. Hiei was shaking, trying to hold himself back from attacking. "You're not helping." To Hiei, he spoke as calmly as he could. "Yusuke doesn't want to hurt Nanashi or try to take her away from you. He's just worried about her. He loves her. And if you hurt him, she'll never forgive you." Hiei still continued to shake.

Botan turned her head back to Yusuke. "You and I need to leave," she back up towards him, trying to push him back.

Yusuke let her run into him, but did not budge.

"No! I want to see her," Yusuke snapped back.

"No," Hiei responded in a soft, but curt tone. "She's resting and you're disturbing her rest."

Kurama spoke before anyone else could. "Hiei, he's not a threat. It's okay. Yusuke, you need to leave right now. I promise she was okay last time I saw her. When he's calmer, you can see her too."

"No, I want to see her right now!" Yusuke argued back.

"Yusuke," Kurama scolded. "A demon who just took a mate is overly protective and it doesn't take much to make him kill." He intentionally left out that Hiei had killed three other male demons already. "Don't make him try to do that to you. Think about it. Koenma is intentionally not here because even he could set him off to attack just by being so near to her. And you being up here shouting isn't helping."

Yusuke looked back at him and took a step back. "What did you do to her?" he asked Hiei more calmly.

"I mate claimed her," Hiei responded back.

"Why?" Yusuke asked.

"It was her idea," Hiei responded back honestly. "Leave. She's resting."

"Let me see her first," Yusuke was almost equally as stubborn as Nanashi could be.

"No."

"You're kidding me-" Yusuke started.

Botan interrupted him, "can I see her?"

All three men looked at her, surprised by her suggestion. Hiei looked her over carefully. "She's sleeping."

"I won't wake her. Or touch her," she promised.

Kurama breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Hiei straightened up and nodded at her, while still keeping his sword in hand. "Only you. Don't touch her. Don't wake her." He instructed her as he backed up down the hallway passed two doors. Botan followed him cautiously. They went into the room Nanashi was resting in.

Yusuke tried to follow too, but Kurama stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Don't set him off. He's unstable as it is. He needs some time before he can handle other people around her."

"What the hell happened?" Yusuke asked, both confused and concerned.

Kurama shook his head. "Not here. I'll explain more later," he promised.

Botan came back out of the room alone. The door was shut and the sound of it being locked echoed through the hallway. "She's okay. Sleeping deeply."

Yusuke crossed his arms and asked the next question that popped into his head, "where the hell are they going to live?"


	61. Chapter 61

After the detective, fox, and grim reaper left in the wake of their disturbance, the healer came back, bringing her until then unspoken request as a payback for saving Nishi's life. She wanted him to find, not try to find, but find a place in Mukuro's service for her sister, the sprite. He agreed, having no desire to refuse her.

Nishi slept on in her oblivion, hardly seeming to want to wake to consume anything. The healer reported her heart beat was stronger and her blood pressure was raising higher than expected. Her sleepiness was a sign that she was recovering so very quickly. Her coloring was much closer to normal as well.

Time ticked by slowly. After what seemed like an immeasurable amount of time, he sensed Mukuro calling to him in his mind. She pressured him to sleep, saying she would watch Nishi if he wanted someone to be with her while he slept. Feeling overwhelmed with exhaustion, he told her of the agreement he made with the healer. He promised he would sleep if the sprite was given a place in Mukuro's castle as well. She reluctantly agreed, warning him she was on her way. He told her he would send for the fox instead; not quite ready to trust her with Nishi alone.

Hiei had been standing by the window, tiredly looking out at the landscape, trying to stay awake. Thankful Nishi wanted to stay here. From what he read from the detective's mind, he wanted to let her live with Hiei where they please, but he was bound and determined to figure out so way in which she could at least have her own portal to the Human World anytime she wanted. He loved her like a sister. He did not want to be separated from her permanently. Nor did the fox from Hiei could gather. He felt a slightly sickening feeling when he realized he got the be the one of the three of them who would get be the one to be with her the most. They loved her, so it did not seem fair.

A knock echoed off the door. Nishi jumped at the sound, whining under her breath. He felt so annoyed when he could tell just by smell it was Mukuro. "Come in," he called, growling under his breath.

Mukuro came in, kicking the door shut behind her. Nishi pulled up her blankets at the sight of her, giving off a rude snarl at her. Mukuro frowned down at her in response. Mukuro spoke as she made her way to sit down in the chair he left by the bed. "She's a wild one alright. No wonder you couldn't let go."

Nishi sat up straight as Mukuro approached. He was exhausted, but the two of them were acting with too much hostility towards one another. Based on her reaction, Nishi was not going to want to rest with her there, but she still needed to.

"What do you want Mukuro? She needs to rest," he told the stronger of the two women.

Mukuro flicked her gauze between the two of them. "Do you recall telling me once that you would kill her if I commanded it?"

Nishi gasped and looked over at him disbelievingly. Mukuro had struck a low blow.

"That was a lie," he countered with mixed truth.

"Didn't sound like one at the time," Mukuro responded, settling herself down in the chair.

Nishi tensed up, one hand balled up by her mouth. "What do you want?" she asked Mukuro in a soft voice. Nishi seemed to grow slightly submissive to her under her heavy gaze.

"Oh, nothing. Just came to offer my services to watch you while he sleeps." Nishi continued to frown up at Mukuro. "After what I put him through, I'm surprised he's still awake and coherent."

He was too exhausted to even argue with Mukuro at this point. By the time he succeeded, he would was unsure if he would have enough energy to wait for the fox to get here afterwards and watch Nishi. He did not want her left unguarded. Mukuro would have to do, in hopes they would get along.

He stepped over the bed and climbed in, laying down next to Nishi's reclined form, intentionally giving into the desire to be close to her physically by laying his head just above her hip and resting his arm over her legs. "That's fine," he consented, hoping the two of them alone while he slept would go over well.

His eyes closed on their own accord as he heard Nishi murmur his name just before he fell asleep. The sleep was blissful, undeniably so. Dreamless too thankfully. He felt someone shake his shoulder, making him snap immediately awake and on guard.

At a sniff in the air, he discovered the undeniable scent of a male. It was familiar, but it certainly had not been the fox. He growled angrily at Mukuro for allowing another male so close to Nishi while he was asleep, "who else was here?!" Mukuro had been standing by door, arms crossed over her chest, annoyed herself.

Nishi rested her hands under his jaw and pulled his face in line with hers. "My cousin. I was happy to see him," she admitted to him gently. Her face looked happy, but her voice had a hint of sadness. She also looked tired herself, but she was recovering at least.

He growled under his breath, saying the detective's name like a swear word.

Mukuro's voice cut through the quiet tension hanging in the air. "Since you're awake, I'm going to leave," she warned him abruptly. "See you at the banquet," she spoke as she slipped quickly out the door.

The banquet... He had hoped to keep Nishi away from there as there were so many other male demons who would be there. Too many threats to her, although the desire to protect her from others was waning. He debated if he could handle her around so many other males, but she looked too tired. He did not want her to appear to be weak around other demons too.

As he looked her over, she brought her mouth to his, giving him one of her sweet kisses he remembered she would like to give him. He sighed under his breath a he realized how it made his body react. The idea to lay her down just then was so tempting, but she doubtless had the energy for it.

"We should get ready for the banquet," she told him, as she went to move passed him on the bed.

He pushed her back down on the bed, straddling her, but halting himself there. He reminded himself to not push her, not matter how much he wanted her. "You're not strong enough for that," he informed her.

"I'm going. Are you going to stop me?" She pouted up at him determinedly while she lay still beneath him.

She truly wanted to go, and knowing her, she would probably push for it as hard she dared. He mentally cursed whoever had told her about the banquet. "Put your hair up. I want people to see my mate bite on your neck." She grinned shyly at his words. "Don't you dare pass out tonight."

She wasted no time getting herself ready as fast as her tired body could move. He vaguely wondered at how she had procured the black dress with the light blue sash around her waist, but he liked the sight of in it, especially with her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. The bruising on her neck was evident for anyone to see that she was his. The neck line of her dress went low enough to hint at the bruising there on the center of her chest too. If she had not appeared to be so tired, he would not have minded tearing it off of her.

Instead of that, she left the room they had claimed from the sprite, who took his old allotted room in an after thought trade. He walked behind her, but she was going so slowly, as if she needed to be sure of every single step she took. The female demons they passed did not have the decency not to stare, while the male demons averted their eyes and kept their distance as best they could. By the time they reached the great hall, Nishi was breathing heavy, but poorly trying to hide it. He looked over the great hall, trying to find somewhere they could sit that would seem safe. At the nearest table sat the fox and the detective, but along with the wind mage. Without even thinking about it, Hiei pushed Nishi behind him, hating the sight of his rival for her that claimed to be in love with her. The other demon who called her 'mine.'

The wind mage was at least smart enough to stand down as he left the room in a disgruntled manner. The ice mage followed him out, leaving two vacated seats across from where the detective and the fox sat. Best place to sit with her. Hiei slid his hand in hers, pulling her towards the table. She sat down silently, head hung low. The energy in the room seemed to be too much for her.

She seemed to perk up at least a little bit when the fox spoke up. "Nanashi, how are you feeling?"

She hummed under her breath at first. "Better... Thank you," she mumbled. "How are you two doing?"

"Better as well," the fox replied steadily. The fox gazed over at Hiei, as if questioning his bringing her here. He nodded towards her, silently saying she wanted to come. Nishi saw the body language exchange. She briefly rested her hand on his leg before taking it away.

"Fine," the detective replied, watching Nishi as she slid her hand away from him. "Just wondering when the two of you have decided to get married?" he asked directly.

"We're not," Hiei responded quickly. The very idea sounded ridiculous. She was already his with both of them bound for life. The only way they could be bound any closer was if she claimed him in turn. Even that idea was superfluous. No trivial ceremony humans used to parade themselves selfishly was necessary. Just an overly decorated piece of paper. Nishi stayed quiet, but tensed up next to him.

The detective started to argue. "She's human. That's what humans do."

A meal was placed in front of them by wait staff, halting the conversation. The meal in front of him had been a beef dish, but the one in front of her was chicken. Hiei switched his plates with hers, giving her the plate that would be better for her. She smiled softly and said thank you. She took a small bite from the dish they both would have preferred.

Hiei restarted the conversation that was paused. "I'm not human," he told the detective.

"But she is," the detective re-countered. "So the two of you should. After all-"

The fox cut in, interrupting the detective as he spoke, "Nanashi is not a demon, and yet you have claimed her like she was one. There is a theory that humans are also mateable creatures in their own right, but that marriage is the path early humans chose weddings instead to replace the claiming as claiming can be a rather violent and sometimes deadly process."

"Then it's fine," Hiei argued. "If humans are also a mate claiming breed, a human wedding would only be a waste of time."

"There's no substantial proof humans are a mate claiming breed," the fox responded. "It's just a thought up theory that-"

Before either Hiei or the detective to say something after the fox, Nishi spoke up. "Stop. Please," she requested. The fox did not speak after she interrupted him. Her hand slipped down to rest softly on Hiei's thigh, stroking up and down in a soothing manner. His rigid muscles began to relax at the touch, but it did stoke up his arousal for her. She did appear to be holding her own at this meal, so she might be able to handle a quick one with her just laying down. She pulled her hand back and turned back to her meal.

The fox said no more about the desired wedding after her request, but the detective kept pushing, "it's only fair you meet her half way."

"Yusuke, stop," she told him wearily. She began to eat again, but only taking small bites.

The detective let the subject drop after that. "Sorry," he grumbled out before eating his own meal with gusto. Between bites he explained how he and the prince were still trying to sort out a way Nishi would be able to regularly go from the Demon World to the Human World. She seemed very hopeful at that idea. He hinted that his plan would not only solve this problem, but also so many more.

Nishi listened in, mostly keeping quiet while Hiei and the fox let the other two talk. She barely ate her half of her meal by the time the three of them had finished and the plates were collected by the wait staff. Even the amount she seemed to eat looked like it took some effort. After the meal, there was supposed to be shown a highlight reel or something from the tournament.

Nishi gave her head a slight shake and stifled a yawn. "Could we go back to our room please?" she asked him as she rose to her feet carefully and stepped away from the table and her chair. She need not ask twice as he jumped up a fair bit too quickly to get her moving. She moved for the door. "Have a good evening," she said to the fox and the detective.

"Later," the detective said with a hint of a grumble.

"Rest easy," the fox bid her. When Hiei passed the fox, the fox stopped him with a gentle hand on his forearm. Speaking so quietly that only Hiei could hear him, he simply said, "she's tired still," before pulling his hand away.

Hiei made no response, but walked briskly to catch up to the slow walking Nishi. She was moving faster than expected, but only until they were away from the great hall and others. By the time they reached the sixth floor, she struggled to climb the last flight of stairs. When they reached the seventh floor, he stopped her wordlessly. He looked down the hallway, trying to see or sense anyone nearby. When there was no one around, he turned back to her. She was leaning her back on the wall. He stepped over to her and picked her up. She gasped in surprise at his action. She leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved quickly to their room, lest someone see she was too tired to walk.

Once in their room, he laid her down on the bed. She nuzzled his neck as he did so. He had to unclasp her hand around his neck. He noticed her face was slightly pink tinted and she was looking at his lips uninhibitedly. All she would need to do was lay down and stay awake. As he went to the door and locked it, he hoped she would not deny him. He took off his cloak and scarf, tossing them uncaringly down on to the chair that was still by the bed.

As he returned to the bed, she was making to slide under the sheets. He stayed her hands, causing her to look up at him curiously. "If you're strong enough to make it through the banquet, you're strong enough to fuck," he informed her, trying to bate off his arousal even as pushed her on her back, straddled her, and kissed her hungrily. All he wanted was her. She kissed back, bringing her hands up around his neck. When she broke the kiss, she was panting harder than would have been if she was her normal self. He nuzzled her head towards the left and brought his mouth over her right ear and whispered, "don't worry, you don't have to do anything tonight. Just lay there and take it. I'll make it quick."

She gave an almost imperceptible nod as her breathing grew shaky. He kissed her again, smiling to himself as she reacted by not only kissing him back, but also spreading her legs wider apart invitingly. Once he moved his body over to her right side, he slid his hand up her right thigh, glad to note her skin was smooth and flawless to the touch. That healer had been a talented one.

Training his thought back to Nishi, he pushed the bottom of her dress up as high as it would go on her stomach, exposing her hips to him. As he slid her panties down and off, he was happy to see she was wet already for him. Hoping her body could handle coming in her half recovered state, he slipped two fingers inside of her, making her whimper. As he teased her, he felt the desire to bite her, but softly. He intermixed nips and kisses along her face and neck as she panted harder and harder. It felt like it hardly took anytime for her to legs to draw together followed by a soft and blissful moan to escape from her mouth. He gave her shoulder a full mouthed bite as she moaned, making her body twitch. As he removed his fingers from her and wiped them off on the sheet, she laid on the bed, eyes closed and still panting heavily. As she lay there, he removed his pants and boxers. He felt a strong desire to bring his tongue down inside of her and make come until she screamed, but he held himself back, knowing she was too weak as of yet for something so intense. Once she was fully recovered, he could play with her like that. Instead, he rubbed himself until he was fully ready for her, hardly needing any time. As he rolled back over top of her, she opened her eyes and nodded once up at him. As he slid inside of her wonderfully tight center, she moaned sweetly and brought her hands immediately up to his shoulders, clinging tightly. Her nails tore at the light blue muscle shirt he still had on. Her head lay down on the pillow beneath her hair as her body shook beneath him. She whimpered noisily when he brought her legs up and around guided her to wrap them around his lower back. He next sought out the mate bite on her neck, teasing it with her tongue to see if that got a reaction out of her. She hardly reacted, but it could have been because she was worn out. He shifted his focus to his own mounting pleasure; trying to hold back so she could handle him without her passing out, but hard enough for himself to come. Once he did, his whole body shook with his own pleasure.

'Mine,' he thought down at her beautifully panting form. Her eyes were closed and she breathed as if she had just rode him hard rather himself riding her as gently as he could muster.

Rising off of her, he removed his shirt and tossed it down on the chair. He next reached over to his own boxers and put them back on. He turned to her next, pulling her up and pulling off her dress. Next he did the same with her bra, dropping both on the floor. He genuinely enjoyed the sight of her nude form. She was so remarkably fit compared to the time before last that he had slept with her. He laid her back down on the bed and covered her up.

He noticed her eyes were barely open and she was watching him. "You're still awake," he teased, making her open her eyes wider. "I could easily take you again tonight." She turned her face from him and whined into the pillow. "I won't tonight, but when your strength is back, I'm taking you all night," he promised as he laid down on his back next to her, trying not to get carried away in imagining what he could do to her. For being the only person he would be able to be with for the rest of his life, he was looking forward to her continually letting him do almost whatever he wanted to do to her. That was what she had done before.

After he laid down, she moved over to him, resting her head on his chest and shoulder, almost timidly. He pulled her closer as he snaked his arm around her back. Laying with her like that was peaceful and calming. He felt his body slowly sink to sleep.

Then she spoke, "do you love me?"

It was not a question he did not want to answer. His eyes snapped open as he felt more awake. She was still snuggled close as could be next to him, eyes closed and breathing deeply. He felt like responding to her that she was cursed to feel that way, but he was not. It was too confusing to even think how he did feel or how he was supposed to feel. "I guess so," he sighed, unsure how he could even think to answer. What she wanted to hear versus what he was unsure about feeling.


	62. Chapter 62

Hiei tried to remember if Nishi had always been so insistent. The next morning the day after the banquet, she wanted to leave their room and pushed for it until he gave in. He conceded and lead her to a secluded garden near the castle's inner wall. She walked so slowly, but not as slow as she had the evening before. She looked around the plants, asking questions about them, wanting to know if there would be plants like that at Mukuro's castle and if she might be able to work with them. He shrugged, unsure of the answers. If anything, she should be working with him in some kind of tactical or defensive way. So long as Mukuro saw fit anyway.

She knelt down before a bush with what looked like some harmless looking large flowers. "What's that?" she asked aloud, raising up one of the large petals to glance under it. Hiei saw what was under there first and pushed her away by the shoulder to get her distance from the black, purple, and red spider bigger than her hand. It turned its ugly fangs towards her, clicking them and raising its top two legs up at her. Instead of being frightened, she moved her head closer to it, genuinely curious about it. "What kind of spider is that?" She looked up at him in wonder. "I don't think I have seen such a big spider so close before." She looked back at the animal, tilting her head curiously.

The spider shimmied as close to her as the pedal it roosted on allowed it to. "Stand up," Hiei told her, hand coming under her shoulder.

She stayed still, asking, "is it poisonous?"

"Well, no but-" he started.

"Then can I touch it?" she asked, slipping herself away from his grip and reaching left hand delicately towards the spider.

"It could bite," he hissed out.

"I've been bit before," she said, dismissively.

The spider raised its front four legs up, but froze abruptly as the wind dragon appeared around her neck. The wind dragon hissed menacingly at the spider, fangs barred. The spider straightened its legs out, raising its body up as high as it could go before it barreled off to the right. It ran off of the bush and did not slow down even as it raced out the entrance to the garden. A few other spiders that had been in the bush and the other near by bushes followed suit.

Nishi sat down on the ground and huffed. The wind dragon disappeared from sight. "It wasn't doing anything," she pouted. She frowned and shifted her jaw about. "Oh prove it." She stood up and brushed herself off. She walked over to a near by bench and sat down, back leaning heavily against it. Hiei followed her to it and chose to stand by her over sitting down. "Did I ever tell you about the pet spider I had when I was five?"

"No," he said, starting to feel like he wanted to go back to their room so she could rest some more.

She kept talking, looking off into the distance. "I was five, and I wanted a dog, but my mom said no. Said no to a cat too. Said she didn't want any pet that shed hair all over her nice furniture." She paused to roll her eyes. "So, I found a spider in my bedroom one day. I put it in a tupperware dish and hid it under my bed. It was kind of hard to catch bugs for it, but I managed. Three days later, my mom was cleaning my room or looking for something or something, and she found it," she ended her speaking with a laugh. "I didn't have a pet spider very much longer," she added with a sad smile. She cocked her head up at him curiously. "So did you expect me to be frightened like a little human girl when it comes to spiders?" She smiled and laugh at her own words. He shook his head in response, which made her laugh and take his hand affectionately, pulling him over to the bench to sit down right beside her. She laid her head down on his shoulder without asking and snuggled up close to him. "If my mom was frightened of a little spider, I wonder how she would have handled that spider from the bush?" She turned her head up to look at him and spoke, "or you for that matter?" Deftly, she kissed him on the cheek.

He wondered if she was always so affectionate as she laid her head back down on his shoulder and rested her hand on his knee. The fox had told him she had grown stronger, which was true, but the fox still did not like the idea of her moving to the Demon World. Hiei found it intriguing that a large spider, that would normally frighten any other human, had been fascinating to her. If he had decided to take her to the Hayato clan instead of to Mukuro's castle, he had little doubt that the clan would take her bravery at face value. Still, he would not want the large demon to question her like he was.

Hiei's thoughts were interrupted as he sensed a familiar friend approach. His head snapped up in time to see the detective strolling into the garden. Nishi sat up at the sight of him and her face lit up in a sweet smile that reminded Hiei that she would very well have to say goodbye to him permanently soon. Him and the fox since the three worlds were separated. She would be with only him from then on out.

"Yusuke," she called out to the detective, moving her hand from Hiei's knee to clasp his hand.

"Hey, he finally let you out," the detective commented with a laugh. He stopped a few steps in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. "Guess you don't want to kill anyone who gets too close to her anymore." Nishi gave a soft peel of laughter and shook her head. "Did you guys see a bunch of giant spiders running across the ground a few minutes ago? Freaked a lot of demons out pretty bad. So one guy try to climb another to get off the ground, pretty hilarious." Nishi laughed at the amusing thought along with him. "So, I was wondering yet if you guys had heard, well Koenma's news...?"

Nishi frowned up at the detective and shook her head. "What news?" she asked curiously.

"Well, you see, Koenma, the new king Enki, Kurama, and I got to talking about this here separation of the Demon World and the Human World..." Nishi sat stunned as the detective began to explain how the two worlds would no longer be separated permanently, and that also there where a few chosen people would be allowed access to pass between the worlds whenever they wanted. "... so you see," as the detective finished, "you now have no excuse not to visit me or my mom now that you're demon married."

Nishi looked overly happy as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around the detective's neck. Hiei felt a twinge of jealousy at the response. She gave a melancholy smirk and whimpered just so slightly. "I thought I would never get to see you again, or Kurama, or Aunt Atsuko," she stepped back and wiped her eyes. "How the hell did you pull that off?"

"Well, when you get four men open to opening the borders in someway together for different reasons, things happen," he shrugged his shoulders. "But I'll give you a catch," the detective pointed down at Hiei, "for Nanashi to have access to a portal, you got to meet my mom."


	63. Chapter 63

Hiei slipped through the all familiar human window, seeing the once small, cluttered bedroom was now bigger looking as it was almost bare, bar a twin bed, desk, office chair, dresser, and empty bookshelf. He had been in here only last night with the detective warning Nishi about the difficulties she would face being a full bred human in the Demon World. They had warned her to be strong, warned her to be brave, and warned her that in any confrontations, she would need to stand on her own for if Hiei came to her rescue it would make her look weak.

Now the room had only a few boxes in the corner closest to the door were all that remained in the room. Nishi had been sitting on the chair and was reading. She glanced up at him as he entered, wearing a sad look in her eyes, but smiling at him anyway. They had arrived back in the Human World the night before, but the detective had insisted they not share her bedroom overnight and to 'behave in the apartment.' Nishi had been willing to comply, which left Hiei sneaking into a neighbor's nearby apartment while the man had been away on holiday. It was hopefully near enough to her that she would not potentially get mate sick. He had waited until the detective had left the apartment, off to search for his mother.

"Hey," she whispered, marking her page, closing her book, and then setting her book down on the empty desk. "Sleep well?" she asked.

He stepped closer over to her, realizing he still had a residual craving for the taste of her blood, and a noticeable craving for her body; damn the side effects of mate claiming making him thirstier and friskier. His body wanted her with the instinctive desire to have a child. A desire he did not want to fulfill beyond the immediate pleasure of the act. As he pressed legs up against hers, he commented, "you look tired," as he noticed dark circles coloring her under eyes.

She bit her lip as he leaned down over her. "I had a little bit of trouble sleeping. It took forever to fall asleep and then I couldn't stay asleep," she confessed. "Uhm," she mumbled as his lips came on top of hers softly. He realized he should have slept closer to her apartment, maybe should have sneaked into her bedroom in the night anyway as the insomnia might have been from their separation. She turned her head away, leaving him access to her neck. His lip came down to it as she tried to speak. "I finally gave up on sleep and packed everything thing up. I think Yusuke was right. I have too many books after all. Uh," she ended her words with a soft moan as he brought his hand cautiously under her shirt. "We shouldn't," she murmured as she stayed his hand. "Yusuke said we shouldn't do... this in the apartment anymore..." Her face was flushed pink as she said her words.

"Forget him," he whispered against her neck. "He's not here. What do you think we should do?" He kept himself completely still as he sensed her hesitate. "One last time in this room?"

She huffed, closed her eyes, and nodded. "We need to move quick. In case they come back soon."

He pulled her up, turned her to face the desk, and guided her body to lean over her desk. She nodded and complied all too willingly. She was wearing pants where he would have preferred her be in a skirt.

She had turned her head around to look back a him curiously. He pressed his left hand down on the middle of her back. "Then I need to get you wet the quickest way I know how," he finished his sentence just as his right hand cracked across her ass. She gasped in surprise at his action. When he repeated the action, she cried out. The third time had her crying out louder. She screamed on the fourth strike and both screamed and clawed at the top of desk the fifth time. He reached his right hand around to the front of her pants, unbuttoning and then unzipping them. Her legs shook in anticipation. He brought his hand back up to the back of her pants, pulling them down towards her knees and let them drop. He reached back over to her front, gladly noticing she wet enough for what he could do next.

"Quickly," she groaned, forehead resting on the top of the desk. She moaned loudly as he brought his hand back down across her backside. Her legs quivered as he repeated the action another four times. She repeated her screams in response. "Quickly," she moaned. "Before someone else gets home." Her legs shook as he pulled her panties down, letting them drop down to her ankles. "Quickly," she begged. As he brought his hand down on her ass, she swore under her breath. On the second strike, she swore louder at him. "Damn it Hiei," she whimpered. On the third strike she just screamed. On the fourth strike she made to stand up, but he stopped her with a little bit more pressure on her back. "Please. Quickly," she moaned. On the fifth strike, she screamed and squirmed. As he removed his hand from her back and stepped in line behind her, she began to warn him in a timid voice, "if you don't... soon..." she stopped speaking and took a sharp inhale of breath as he rubbed his hips over hers.

"What do you want exactly?" he asked her as he stepped away, pushed his cloak out of the way, unzipped and unbuttoned his own pants, and pulled his ready self out.

He brought his hips back in line with hers, causing her to moan and arch her back up to him. Worried he was pushing her too far and worried someone might return to the apartment before they finished, he slid inside her wetness. She moaned at his movements, arching her hips up for him as much as she could. She was wet and tight, but unprepared as he had turned her on too rapidly. In the beginning she was wincing more than moaning. He preferred to be more thorough with her, but with time possible short, he went quick and intensely. She continued to moan and claw on her desk as she came swiftly on him. Once she stopped, her legs nearly buckled underneath her as she lay still and panted; waiting patiently for him to finish. Once he did so, he pulled away and guided her carefully as she involuntarily slumped to the floor, breathing deeply and rapidly as she went. He cursed himself mentally at the thought that he had pushed her and too fast, taking her more like she was a demoness instead of the human she was. Just because she was considered by others to be strong, did not mean he could take her like a demon. He guided her to lay down on the floor on her back so she could breath easier. She brought her hands to her forehead and rested them while he pulled her panties and pants back up her legs and on her properly. He readjusted his own clothing as well to how they normally would be.

When she managed to slow her breathing down, she exhaled, "thank... you... I think... I could fall... asleep now..." However, she would not get the chance to rest much longer as both of them heard the tell tale sound of the apartment door being unlocked. Nishi rolled over to her side and groaned. Her face reddened as she pushed her upper body off the ground. "Damn it... at least we finished first..." She looked up at him and kissed him swiftly and simply. "Is my face red?" she asked. He nodded, which led her to respond with a huff. "Ugh, damn. He'll know..." She frowned nervously.

He wanted to laugh at her response over being worried about disobeying the detective, but he stayed his reaction. He thought quickly and said, "we can say I woke you up. Sometimes your face has a pink tinge to it when you first wake up."

"I do?" she commented. "Guess my blood has definitely replenished itself after all," she joked. She reached her hands over to his and requested, "help me up. Please." He did as asked, irked a little by how weak she was still after being taken like a demoness. He felt certain as her legs shook that she would have been asleep by now if she could have.

She took a deep breath instead and dropped one of her hands in his, pulling slightly at his now unwilling form towards the door and opened it up. She stopped in the doorway and froze as she looked on in the kitchen. Her grip on his clenched tightly while her other hand balled up into a fist by her mouth. She went mousy as she stared down to the floor. "Hello... Aunt Astuko..." she greeted softly.

Hiei could barely hear her speak, but the detective and the her aunt still noticed the two of them standing in the doorway as they both looked their way. From his position behind Nishi, Hiei could see the detective leaning his back against the kitchen counter while the aunt sat on one of the kitchen chairs, casually smoking a cigarette. A large, open drink sat beside her.

The detective spoke next, "you're not supposed to be in her room," to Hiei.

"Is that the demon husband?" the aunt asked before she took another drag from her cigarette. She was slurring her speech ever so slightly. "Get out here so I can have a proper look at you." Nishi dropped her hand on his and backed up from the doorway so to let him step through it. He took her by the elbow and guided her into the kitchen with him. Once he let her elbow go, she slipped a step or two behind him, head down and hands by her mouth. The aunt gave a low whistle as she looked him over with her dull human eyes. She flicked the ash off of her cigarette and then took another drag. When she finally spoke, it was to Nishi, "Nanashi." She snapped her fingers, making Nishi look up at her. "If your mother was alive, the very thought of you marrying him by the looks of him would have given her a heart attack." As she finished speaking, she gave a harsh sounding laugh as if she had told a joke.

"We're not married," Nishi responded from behind her hands. "Not like that anyway."

"That's right," the aunt replied. She took another drag. "Yusuke clued me on what the hell you two have been up to since and before you even came to live here. Where ever you got your spunk from, it sure as hell wasn't from your dad. That coward would have wet himself at the sight of this bad boy here." Her gazed turned down to Hiei, still looking him over, but she continued to to speak to Nishi, smoking as she went. "I would have never pegged you as a bad boy chaser. From what Yusuke has said, it looks like you did the impossible and got one to commit." Another drag. "I knew you were up to something when you started drinking that tea you said helped you with cramps and to clear up your complexion. Apparently you were indeed using it for a lot more than that," another laugh and a drag. "You're not the first girl I know to use something that smells like that."

The detective took the chance to interject. "You said Kurama gave you that tea. Guess he got to know from the beginning," he grumbled.

Hiei glanced back at Nishi who still stood frozen, never speaking and never moving. "That's the red head you run around with a lot isn't it?" the aunt asked over to Nishi. "The one that used to be a demon right? The one you followed to the Demon World for that war that never ended up happening?" Nishi barely nodded in silent reply. The aunt gave another cackle. "And here I thought you were sleeping with him this whole time. Take out the demon part and give him a hair cut, and that's the one your mother would have approved of." The aunt next stubbed out her cigarette, stood up, and walked passed Hiei without so much as another glance. She went over to Nishi and pulled the girl's hands away from her face. "But screw her. That bitch is dead. It's your life. You can fuck who want and live where you want as long as your smart about it. So long as he treats you right, I'll like him." Nishi threw her head back and breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Oh, you're finally breathing now?" the aunt observed with a smirk. "Yusuke told me you've got something special hidden under your neck. Something that can keep you breathing even when you can't. Let me see this wind dragon as he calls it." Nishi nodded and summoned up the wind dragon around her neck, making the now astonished aunt gasp. The wind dragon curled around Nishi's neck and then raised its head and body up until it was in line eye to eye with the aunt. "My word, that thing is beautiful," she gasped before launching into several questions about the wind dragon. This time around she pushed Nishi to speak so to answer her questions.


	64. Chapter 64

Nishi could have tried a little harder to fit in. Thankfully the ma cab, insect like decor of the castle had no adverse effects on her. She liked it better than Mukuro liked her. Mukuro could have done better giving Nishi a job more worthy of her skills. The two of them complained enough about the other as it was. Nishi would not submit and Mukuro would not stand her. Nishi could have worked in the library or should have been out doing border patrols with him; even if they would have had to have been in a different squad. Instead she was in the kitchen and not even really allowed to cook unless no one else could do it. She was at least better than a common kitchen bitch.

As he was returning from patrol, another kitchen bitch came running towards them. The sprite stumbled as she sprinted over to him and called after him. She had dark red splatters scattered on her kitchen uniform. The others in the squad snickered, but Hiei started at her uniform stone faced.

"Hiei, Hiei, Hiei, Hiei!" the sprite half panted,half shouted. "Nanashi, your mate, messed up. She messed up. Like, really, really really messed up." She had reached him now and grabbed his hand, struggling to tug him forward. "Come on."

"Where is she? What did she do?" he asked her as he kept pace with her tugging.

"Mukuro's meeting room or whatever it's called. I don't know. She- hey!" she called after him as he took off, leaving her behind. He ran pill mill to the room indicated to get there before it was too late.

He got there and saw Mukuro's council minus the stranger standing up by the far right and far left walls while Mukuro stood at the head of the room. Nishi stood in the middle, a ward noticeable around her neck and hands tied behind her back. Her hair was disheveled, half way undone from how she had warn it today. The sight of her made him livid; wondering what ever she could have done to get warded.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?!" Mukuro shouted down at her.

Nishi tensed, but only a little. She still kept her head up, looking straight at Mukuro. "They deserved it," she responded in a half squeak. "I would do it again if they were alive to say that again about my husband."

Mukuro was not backing down. "You don't have a husband. There is no other human here that would even claim you. Treason against me is a good way to get kicked out of here."

Hiei stepped in, keeping careful as to keep from pissing off either woman at this point. "What did she do?" he interrupted as he stepped cautiously over to Nishi. He reached over and yanked off the bonds around her hands. She bit back and mostly silenced a whimper in response.

Mukuro stared at him a little too long, as if his entry put her off what she was planning to do and say. "Killed three of her superiors without provocation." He reached up and pulled the ward against wind demons off of her neck.

"They-" Nishi raised her voice.

"They did not attack you," Mukuro countered loudly, shutting her up. Nishi went to shout back, but Mukuro shouted her down. "They did not attack you. They did not threaten to attack. They did not try to attack you. You have no right to lay your hands on anyone here!" A heavy silenced settled around the room. "Get her out of my sight," she ordered Hiei.

"Yes my lord," Hiei rushed out, trying to appease Mukuro even in the slightest. He took Nishi by the elbow, making to guide her out of the room quickly. She resisted, quietly starting to tell him no. "Shut up," he told her. He pulled her out of the room and moved at a fast enough pace that she could keep up but would not be able to slip away. Once they got into their rooms, he led her to their couch in the sitting and set her down. "What did you do?" he asked her up close to her face. She tried to squirm and get away, so he pinned her wrists done to the cushions; not liking doing it in this setting. His stomach gave a brief, sharp twist in response.

"Let go," she fully whimpered this time as she struggled to break her hands free. At this kind of struggling, he did not release her.

"Not until I know what you've done." She looked away from him. "Tell me or show me, you're choice."

"Three of the cooks kept insulting you, and I couldn't stand it anymore," she said with soft determination. "I told you to let me go," she flustered.

Something was not adding up to how she could have angered Mukuro like that or why she would have killed them in the first place based on that vague explanation. "I need to see what you did," he warned as he moved his hands from her wrists to the sides of her head. As if in an afterthought, he brushed his head band off to reveal his Jagan Eye. He brought his hand back to her head. She tried and failed to jerk her head away. He felt sick to his stomach about it.

He closed his eyes and slipped into her mind so easily as it was so familiar to him. He watched the scene play out:

Nishi stood over a cutting board, prepping and chopping away at a large basket of vegetables that both she and the sprite standing next to her worked away at. Across the table from them were three other demons. The head cook, a bristly male demon whose name Hiei could not remember sat on high stools nearby chatting with another male and female demon cook who were standing.

The head cook was talking in a boisterous voice, body turned towards the female demon, but head turned towards Nishi as much as possible without actually bringing her into the conversation. "Before the new king stepped into power, the time you caught an unsuspecting... one... was a rare treat indeed. These ones who were stupid enough to fall down a rabbit hole or walk through the wrong wardrobe. Now they were the real treat, being that they were frightened at the sight of this world." He shifted into an a play acting voice. "Help me, help me, please! I can't find my mommy!"

The three of them laughed while Nishi just focused on keeping herself calm and unresponsive. She kept chopping at an even pace and kept her breathing steady; swallowing at the temper over his joke threatening to rise up within her. The sprite next her stopped chopping herself, looking up at Nishi, looking uncomfortable. Nishi gave into the desire to reassure the sprite she was okay when she gave the ever so slightest shake of her head in response.

No matter how slight the move had been, the head cook had still picked up on it. He leaned in every so slightly closer to Nishi as he continued to talk at a higher volume. "They never did find their mommies, even if they were thick enough in the head to try to find her in the oven as suggested." The three of them gave a disgusting sound laugh at the idea. The sprite looked nervously at Nishi without care as Nishi herself struggled to keep herself calm. Giving herself a reminder that dinner was so soon and she would be able to get away from this demon trio. "But you never want to scare... one... before death. If you can help it anyway. Makes the meat to tough. Best to catch... one... when they are sleeping. That way when eaten, the meat is softer and subtle." He cast a half side glance at Nishi who ignored him, but agitated the sprite who was whinnying under her breath towards Nishi. Nishi had the wind dragon in conversation, trying to keep her calm and keep her breathing deceptively steady. "But you can't eat... one... not anymore. Not since the new king became a different kind of lover of them." Nishi kept her thoughts trained on Hiei as she cut, trying not to imagine where else she wanted to put the blade. The sprite was a shrinking violet due to the tension in the room building. "Can't eat a single... one... anymore. Not with a hefty sentence that makes it not worth it of course." The head cook leaned down on the table onto his elbows, head turned in a way that showed Nishi his profile only. She wanted to leave the room, temper threatening to boil over on the inside, but kept breathing steady thanks to the wind dragon and chopping steady thanks to her own self control on the outside. The head cook's upper lip twitched as he glanced her way. She refused to meet the glance at all. "Unless someone has some kind of preferential treatment and can get away with it." The head cook seemed like he was a little flustered now as Nishi stay calm in her outward appearance. "A certain human lover we know," he gave a short laugh, echoed by the two by him. Nishi slipped up the slightest, pausing for just a hair of a second too long between chops and the head cook jumped all over it. He faced her head on as he said, "guess he likes to eat human." All three of them roared in laughter.

The comment and laughter there after at Hiei's expense was direct enough to snap Nishi's resolve in half and throw self control out the window. She had thrown the knife in her hands down with a resounding twang as the blade was buried deeply in both the cutting board and the table. The head cook stood and snarled at her, but instead of intimidating her like he meant it to, she was over the table and had the wind dragon out as an ax. Before either of the three of them could react in self defense, they were dead to the tune of the sprite's terrified screams.

Hiei had seen enough. He left her mind and dropped his hands from her head. In the split second he had to recover from this, she had slapped him across the face. She went to shove him away, so he stepped back from her instead. He could see the look on her face was colored angry all over again. "Don't do that! I don't like it when you do that!" She was up off the couch and moving to shove him a second time, but he stepped cautiously away, unsure when the last time he saw her so furious in person. "I told you what happened. You didn't need to pry inside my mind to see it." She moved back to sit down on the couch, slumped down, and sat down to cry with her head in her hands.

He watched her, not liking the sight of her weakness. He put his headband back on as she cried. "Calm down," he told her from a distance. She continued to cry, seemingly unable to get herself under control. He cringed at the memory of the fox warning him he would have be everything she needed now; mate, lover, friend, confidant, and comforter. Now he had to be the last one. "Calm down," he told her with fake patience in his voice.

Moving when he would have rather stayed still, he went over to the couch and sat down beside her. She had her head laying down in his lap before he could have even thought to stop her. He sat there rigidly, unassuredly patting her shoulder until she calm down enough to talk.

"I hated him," she whined. "I hated all three of them... but him the most..." She inhaled a sniffle. "He's the one who yelled in my face my first day." She sat up and wiped her eyes, avoiding looking over to him. "I know she really likes you." She used the word 'she' like a curse word. "She would have done the same thing I did if she had heard them insult you like that. And yet I get dragged out of the kitchen and hauled off in front of her like a criminal." She looked over at him, blinking her puffy, red eyes. "I did what was right by you," she added with determined grit. She looked down and admitted, "I hate her too."

The last admission made him angry all over again. They had had this conversation before. "You- we get to live here because of Mukuro," he scolded her. "Would you rather be a nomad in this world?" She leaned her back down to the back of the couch, crossed her arms over her chest, and huffed. "Well?"

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I still hate her..." she grumbled. "Why do you always take her side?"

"What are you taking about?" he asked, cluelessly.

"Every time something stupid like this comes up, you defend her... Taking her side when you should be on my side." Hiei shook his head, trying to stay calm himself. "You do too and you know it," she pouted. When he did not respond, she rose up and stormed off to their bedroom. He heard the tell tale sound of the lock clicking shut behind her.

Instead of going into their bedroom after her, he rose up and left their rooms; going instead to the bedroom of the woman he would have preferred to be with.

Once he reached Mukuro's room up in the highest tower of the castle, the stranger was sitting down in front of her door, fiddling with a long piece of string out of boredom. When he saw Hiei approach, he jumped up to his feet and hastily tucked most of the string into his pocket. Hiei moved to step pass him so he could go see Mukuro.

The stranger jumped in the way, holding his gloved hand out to stop him. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you," he warned. "She's raging right now and is taking out your birthday present," he added with a puzzled frown.

"You can tell something's wrong with the situation in which I captured him too?" he asked the stranger, both of them suddenly changing the subject like the flip of a coin.

The stranger shifted his weight and leaned on the locked door. "She remembers it though." Changing the subject back, he asked, "how's the mate?"

"Who told you?"

"Who do you think?" he said, nodding towards the door. "Her, and that little woodland demoness from the kitchen. She responds well to sweetness," he gave a laugh. "In talking to me, she finally figured out that you and your mate were the ones who caused the mess of a mate claim she cleaned up back at the Demon King Tournament. Not a smart one," he gave a soft laugh.

"Nanashi's raging as well. Thinks I am taking Mukuro's side all the time."

"If she would just submit to Mukuro, that would be half the battle won right there."

"She refuses," Hiei replied. "Simply she doesn't like her as a person."

The stranger shook his head and sighed. "Well, Mukuro would still hate her anyway. Seeing as how she is, quote, 'nothing but a curse made flesh'." He rolled his eyes. "You know, I could just tell her she likes Nanashi now..." he hinted.

"No," Hiei refused. "Nanashi has to truly earn that. Other wise it is not real."

"As unreal as her undying love for you?" the stranger countered with a smirk. "You know the way Mukuro sees it is she's a curse who entrapped you when you were most vulnerable. And that she did not choose to love you, but rather has to based on Minha's blessing. She tempted you to give into the curse."

"I have had to have that conversation with Mukuro more than once. I would rather not have it with you as well."

The stranger shrugged and raised his hands half way up in the arm. "Excuse me for trying to clear up the boredom of sitting guard outside of Mukuro's door, making sure no one disturbs her alone and raging time. At least her room is sound proof so I don't have to deal with hearing screaming too." He stretched his muscles out and then slid himself back down to the floor to sit down. "You may as well go back to Nanashi like a good mate would. At the rate Mukuro might be going, I could be in for a long night of waiting followed by confidant duties..." He looked up at Hiei hopefully. "Got any of your mate's books handy?" Hiei shook his head. The stranger tapped the back of his head on the door. "That's a shame. Have fun with your woman," he added dismissively.

"Hn," Hiei grunted and nodded down at him, feeling like he would rather deal with Mukuro than Nishi.

With no other real destination to find, Hiei went back to his rooms. He was glad to see the bedroom door was unlocked once more.

Nishi had stepped out the bathroom, towel around her torso. She frowned at him and clutched the towel closer to her chest. She went over to her wardrobe and pulled a mismatched set of pajamas in her haste and returned to the bathroom. Hiei made himself ready for bed and laid down as she came back out of the room, wet hair combed and fully dressed.

She moved over to the bed, slowly, with her head and one hand trained on her mouth. She crawled timidly into the bed and cuddled up almost right next to him. "I'm sorry," she hardly breathed.

"I'm not the one you should apologize to," he replied.

Nishi did not reply, but rather she turned away from him and slept on the very edge of her side of their bed intentionally. Yet when they both woke up the next morning, she had moved in her sleep to have her head on his shoulder and her arm around his chest. This drama was a mess.


	65. Chapter 65

There was no pleasing either woman. Mukuro refused to put Nishi back in the kitchens, so she argued she would have to go back to human school if she wanted to work in the library instead and Nishi hated the idea. Much to Mukuro's distaste, Nishi agreed to do it so long as she and Hiei had a human wedding; which he agreed to much to Mukuro's disapproval. Both of them also took what chances they could to be snide about the other with him. At least each day Nishi left the Demon World, she was able to handle the separation between the two of them.

One day, over five and a half months, an urgent message came for him from the Human World. It had arrived about a half hour after Nishi had left for school. She herself had been staying up late into the nights to study for an exam she was stressed over. The message was from the fox and to come immediately. After sending his own brief message to Mukuro about his absence, he went himself to the Human World, meeting and greeting the fox at the portal's entrance in the darkened alleyway.

"Hello old friend," the fox greeted him. Even though it had been a school day, the fox was dressed casually today.

"What's the emergency?" Hiei asked, cutting to the chase.

The fox just raised up his eye brows and smirked. As he rummaged in his pocket, he said, "urgent and emergency have two very different meanings. And I believe the word I used was 'urgent.'" He pulled out a thick wallet and tossed it over to Hiei.

Hiei caught the wallet and inspected the contents, seeing a large array of high numbered bank notes. "What is this?" he asked, confused.

"Let's just say it's a loan for now. Since you had given Nanashi control to your Human World bank account, she would catch it immediately if any amount of money went missing. And I don't want her suspicious."

"So why give this to me then?" Hiei responded, confused.

The fox smirked, enjoying this moment surprisingly. "In your time spent living in this world, do you recall what a man is expected to do and ask before he can marry a woman?"

"She told you then about our deal?" Hiei observed. "That if she finished school that I would then marry her the human way?"

"That should not surprise you," the fox gave a soft chuckle. "Come on," the fox beckoned as he headed towards the main street. "You need a ring."

Hiei did not follow, but instead countered. "She has nearly seven more months to finish school."

The fox kept walking as he replied knowingly, "then we have plenty of time to shop."


	66. Chapter 66

Hiei had left after meeting with Mukuro where she made it clear of her disapproval of his plan for the human like proposal and wedding when Nishi finished school. "Her feelings aren't real. She's cursed. You'd do better to send her away."

He returned to their rooms that evening, tired and grouchy about this discussion with Mukuro. Even after he had sparred with the stranger after that to burn off his own extra frustration between seeing both of the women. At least Nishi still had six to seven more months or so for school.

Nishi was in their bedroom, settled down on the foot of their bed on her stomach and reading. She sat up suddenly on her knees when she saw him and was very excited. "Guess what?"

"What?" he asked, hanging up his sword and cloak. He noticed her backpack hung up on the rack looked lighter than it usually did. He was too tired and too annoyed with Mukuro to deal with her in such an energetic mood now.

She had not noticed he was tired at all as she continued to be excited. "I'm done with school!" She was all smiles as she said it.

He thought back to the two weeks prior where the fox had taken him ring shopping. "I thought you had six more months?" How the hell could she have finished school so fast?

Her excitement was nearly palpable. "Should have, yes, but I took extra classes online and passed everything. I've got the paper work if you need to see it. It's in my backpack." She pointed to her backpack hanging up on the coat rack he was standing right next to. Based on her excitement and the fox's previous actions, he could tell she was telling the truth. She had never had a reason to lie to him before, so why would she start now?

Yet the timing was bad. Mukuro had him edgy and she would not like hearing about this sudden turn of events. While Nishi was his mate, he still would have preferred to spare Mukuro's feelings over this. Yet he had promised Nishi this. He swore under his breath and went to his dresser where he had hidden the ring. The fox had suggested he hide it somewhere Nishi would not be poking through for any reason. She had had no reason to go rummaging in there. He grabbed the small ring box, holding a ruby ring with a white gold band, bringing it to his pocket, and deciding grudgingly to keep his promise to Nishi at the expense of how Mukuro would reaction later.

Hiei walked over to wear Nishi sat on the bed, watching him with a curious frown. He stood in front of her, looking her over as she looked back at him curiously. He tried to remember what the fox had advised him to do. He felt irked with Nishi that she had finished school so quickly without telling him, but did tell the fox.

He shook the annoyance off as she unexpectedly leaned over and kissed him. She still had a level of sweetness about her that was never phased by him. A level of love that she felt for him, however unreal or curse created it was. The idea that crossed his mind was that it was as unreal as it was beginning to be undeserved.

He pulled away from her and dropped down to one knee before her. One hand came up over her mouth and she held her breath. He pulled out the ring and held up the box towards her, forgetting even how he was supposed to ask this question. He felt like with her, it did not matter anyway. "Marry me?" She was up and off the bed, pulling him up and hugging him. "Well?" he grumbled out, patience wearing thin, wanting to get this over with. She kissed the side of his face and then kissed his mouth, leading in it completely.

She gave him a coy look as she hummed under her breath. "Yes," she consented as she kissed him twice over. Her happiness in this moment was palpable. With him as the one who caused it. She smiled at him as he slid the ring over her left ring finger. "How did you get the ring so fast? Did you figure I'd graduate after all?" Her hands came to rest over his. He could feel the hint of the cold ring over her warm hand.

"I got it just in case," he half truthed. "If you had not succeeded, I would have just returned it." She pulled her left hand away with a pout. He felt drowsy as he teased her, "I'm not going to take it away." He let out a yawn after he finished speaking. He was physically tired as well as worn out over trying to juggle both her and Mukuro and their inability to get along. In this proposal that made Nishi so happy was going to make Mukuro so furious.

He was jarred from his thoughts as she boldly poked him on the nose. He wrinkled his face in response to the silly gesture and jerked his face away. "Someone's sleepy," she teased.

"I let you get away with too much," he admitted.

She gave her right hand over his left a squeeze and she bit her lip with a mischievous look in her eyes. She stepped back over to the bed, climbed in, and went to settle down at the top of it; all without looking away from him. She raised up her right hand and beckoned him over with her index finger. She appeared to be behaving quite frisky in the moment. He climbed into the bed after her, but laid himself down on his back and brought his hands behind his back. In an afterthought of how physically tired and sore his muscles felt, he felt the temptation for a quick shower, alone. A desire for a mental break away from both Nishi and Mukuro after today.

However, Nishi had other things in mind clearly as she brought herself down over top of him. He gave a huff under his breath, debating whether or not stop her actions. He became a little more open to her action as began to move her hips forward and backwards over his own. It did feel rather arousing when she did that. It felt even better when her hands slid over his torso and under his shirt as well. He took a deep and relaxing breath as he began to enjoy her ministrations.

"You're not following asleep on me, are you?" He only relaxed more as she kept moving along.

Her hands stopped moving, but her hips kept going, which was all that counted in this moment. He kept his eyes closed until he felt cloth come around on his face. He opened his eyes as the cloth came around his eyes.

Staying her hands, he asked, "what are you doing?"

"You'll see," she whispered nervously and batted his hands away. She stilled her movements over her hips.

Trustingly, he went to bring his hands back down on the bed, but he felt her stop them, hands coming around his wrists and bound them together with another piece of cloth and gently set above his head. Ordinarily, she let him do whatever he wanted almost each time he wanted to, but her taken over was out of the ordinary. While he was worn out physically and mentally, so long as she did not push him to do much, he was willing to lay back and let her have her fun. He growled under his breath as he settled down for this.

He could feel her breath shake as brought her lips to his neck, nipping along it with barely there teeth. She rarely bit him, but now she was doing so even more, outside the throws of passion. She was doing it intentionally down his neck, over his shoulder, down his arm, and across his chest. He wished she would have kissed more and bit harder.

Now she was moving her mouth down to the hem of his pants, bringing her hands up to undo the belts around his waist. Then she unexpectedly brought her mouth down and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants with her mouth. Thankfully she switched back to her hand and pulled his cock out and quickly brought her mouth down on his, thankfully minus her teeth this time. In response to her suddenly sucking on him so hard, he took a gasp and thrusted his hips up involuntarily. She gagged, pulling her mouth away briefly. Her hands came down on his hips, steadying them as she teased her tongue back over him. Then she took him into her mouth and sucked him hard and fast; not gagging on him anymore. Next she brought her mouth off of him and brought what felt like her right hand to him, rubbing up and down with her soft but firm hand.

"I'm close," he warned her.

She took her hand away from him and brought her mouth back down to him and sucked hard on him, making him come with ease. He felt his whole body relax deeply afterwards, threatening to pull him into a deep sleep.

First he wanted his wrists unbound and his eyes uncovered. He brought his wrists to his mouth and set his teeth to the cloth around his wrists.

She reached over and pulled his wrists away from his mouth. "I don't want holes in my shirt," she said as she unbound his wrists for him. Once his hands were unbound, he pulled off the cloth over his eyes.

Nishi took the shirt she had been wearing away from him and threw it over towards the corner of the bedroom. He found the sight of her without her shirt on appealing even though he was sleepy. If he moved fast, he could reciprocate and then some before he went to sleep. He tugged off his pants and then reached over for her. "Ah ah ah," she tsked under her breath as she slid away from her. "You're tired," she told him as she got off the bed, most assuredly out of arms reach. "Sleep now fiance."

He rolled over to his side and let his eyes close. When he heard her start the shower, he thought about leaving the bed to join her right before he fell into a deep sleep.

He jumped awake at the sight and feeling of her hand around him. She lost her grip and retook him in hand. "Morning," she whispered happily as she brought her mouth to his as she kept moving.

After allowing her to do this for a few minutes before he rolled her over onto her back and went over top of her. Realizing he had no clue what time it was, he asked her, "how much time do I have?" He hoped for lots of time.

"About twenty minutes," she replied.

That amount of time would have to do. He reached down between the two of them and pulled off her pajamas bottoms, fumbling and ripping the side of them in his haste. She gave a disgruntled hum in response. He had forgotten to remove her panties in his haste as well, so he just pushed them aside as he entered her. She was already ready for him as he brought her legs up and over his shoulders as he bore down on her and took her as hard and fast as she could handle. She clung to him tightly, her left hand gripping the back of his neck and her right hand on his left shoulder. He could barely feel the coolness of her ring on the nape of his neck. When he felt her tighten up around him, she cried out with the sweetest voice.

When he finished, she lay beneath him, eyes closed and panting deeply. He felt as if he had gone to hard and fast for her again, but at least this time she would have plenty of time in the day to rest and recover.

He threw the blankets back over her and made his way to their bathroom and showered, trying to wash the smell of her off of him and to be quick about it as Mukuro disliked him in her presence when he smelled like Nishi.


	67. Chapter 67

Nishi planned the wedding so fast, entirely too fast. She returned home that evening with a garment bag in tow. "Where have you been all day?" She had not bothered to tell him she was leaving even.

"With your sister," she said softly. "We've been mad with wedding planning."

Hiei groaned inwardly. He was worried what Mukuro would say about that. "When is it?" he asked, hoping for a long enough time that would appease Mukuro that there would be a wait.

"Three days from now," she dead panned. He just stared at her in surprise as she continued. "Well, actually, two and a night," she said as she handed him over the garment bag.

He took the bag from her. "Three days seem fast. What's this?" he went to unzip the garment bag before she halted him.

"Don't open that!" He looked at her bewildered. "Not while I'm here anyway. Yukina told me not to see it until our wedding day. It's your Hakama." Based on that explanation, he realized she was planning for a Shinto styled wedding. "By the way, after tonight, I'll be staying at Genkai's until after the wedding."

She was going to be gone overnight... two nights. While she had not been affected leaving just for the day on a daily basis to the Human World for school, he worried two nights away might affect adversely. It could also affect him if he wasn't careful. "Why can't you stay here?"

"Because absence makes the heart grow fonder. And, Yukina and I need all that time to finish preparations," she explained. "Luckily, we already found a Shinto priest and a shrine madien after lunch who were available for our auspicious day. Oh, I almost forgot," she gestured to the front of the garment bag, "in the front pocket of the garment bag is the wedding oath you have to read. Yukina wouldn't let me read that either. You'll be reading it during the ceremony." She was throwing a lot at him suddenly.

He unzipped the garment bag's front pocket and pulled out a handful of papers. As he skimmed the first page, he questioned, "what's this other stuff?"

"Oh," she gasped. "Explanations of what the ceremony will be like. We don't have time for a rehearsal either," she added like an afterthought.

Too much and too sudden. Not only would Mukuro not like this, but he himself was beginning to not like the suddenness of this very much. He had promised her this, but had really expected to have more time between the engagement and the wedding. Did humans usually not have long engagements?

Mind blown, he asked, "so when do you leave again?" He folded the papers sort of in half and stuffed them back into the front pocket of the garment bag.

"I pack and leave tomorrow morning."

He carried the garment bag over to their coat rack and hung it up. The coat rack jostled, but managed to not tip over. He looked over at her. Two nights. That could be a long time for her and so he would not mind bedding her before that.

Turning around towards her he told her, "in that case," as he snapped his fingers and pointed down in front of him. She had taken control last night, and now that he was better rested and in a better mood, it was his turn this time. Say anything about her, but she was obliging. She knelt down in front of him, resting comfortably on her knees. She looked up at him with her pale pink lips slightly parted. Their eyes met and wondered just how else besides the mate's curse would have her with him instead of the wind mage.

He looked down lower to his pants as he undid his belts and then his pants. Her hands were on him in a rush, followed closely by her mouth. She used just her mouth and rested the palms of her hands on the tops of his upper thighs. A hint that he was not allowed to thrust. The things she could do with her tongue... He may have had to teach her how to do this, but what she was doing now was beyond anything he could have ever taught her. She took him from barely hard to rock hard in no time at all and made him give off a breathy moan. He wanted to move his hips in response to what she was doing, but her hands had not moved an inch. He reached down and entangled both hands in her hair, tugging out and making her hum out a whine. When she did that, she nearly finished him. If she kept this up, it would likely take him less than a minute more.

Yet something hinted to him on a subconscious level told him not do that; not to let that happen. Even though he knew he was so close and could easily come a second time with her tonight, he stopped her. He let her hair go, brought his right hand under her chin, and pulled her mouth off of him. She looked up at him curiously. He wanted to speak, to explain, but he could not find any words. He snapped his fingers at her a second time and then limply pointed over to the edge of the bed. She rolled up into a standing position and went immediately to the foot of the bed and sat down. She waited for him to join her, hands clasped together in front of her neck. He met her eyes as he began to take off his clothes where he stood. By the time he had finished undressing, he was still staring over to her, but her head was now bent low and her face was blushing.

As he walked over to her, she looked back up at him with bright eyes. He pressed his legs up against hers and pulled her hands away from her neck, guiding them silently to hang above her head. After that, he slid his hands caressively down her arms, over the sides of her torso, and then to the hem of her shirt. Taking the shirt in both hands, he pulled it up and over her head. She brought her hands back down as he tossed her shirt away. Next he reached behind her back, trying to find the hooks in her bra to take them apart. He found one, but could not manage to unclip the other two. Getting frustrated, he just to the bra off as an alternatively.

"Hey," she winced, frowning at him. The sound reminded him try to be both gentle and thorough tonight.

She desisted in her protests when he placed both hands on her sides under her ribs and pushed her down to lay on her back. She was breathing ever so quickly as undid her pants and pulled them off. This time he took her panties off as well. He stayed standing as he brought his hand down to her center and teased two fingers over her clit. Her breathing became even more labored and she brought her arms up underneath herself and held her upper body up with her forearms. When he let her come, she did so while dropping her head back and crying out in pleasure.

After her breathing settled into a more even pant, he guided her arms out from under her and brought her to rest down on her back. Her hands went up to her face as he pulled her hips to the edge of the bed and slipped inside of her; feeling almost like he had waited far too long for this moment. She moaned and squirmed below him in the brief minute he needed to finally finish.

Afterwards, he set her hips down on the bed. One of her hands went one of her inner thighs and rubbed it suggestively. Perhaps she wanted her turn. Taking what seemed like a hint from her, he took his turn to set down on his knees and use his tongue on her. She took an audible breath and took the hand that had been on her thigh and brought it over to rest on the side of his face, gripping him ever so slightly.

"Don't stop..." she ordered, barely able to speak. He paused and then redoubled his efforts; making her moan anew. Her back arched and she took a sharp breath. "I'm coming... I'm so close..." she could hardly even whisper. "... please..." she begged.

He kept his mouth moving on her, bringing just the hint of his teeth on her as he removed the hand on his face. Next, he brought his hands under her legs and pulled up to rest his shoulders. After that, he raised himself up higher, bringing her legs with him. Her lower back arched as she tried and failed to speak. She gave a half moan, half scream as she came. She was so willing to please and oh so easy to please.

Part of him no longer wished it was Mukuro who laid beneath him instead.


	68. Chapter 68

The past two nights had been quiet and peaceful. Mukuro had not been very happy, but at least Hiei had gotten some peace from having his human mate gone and Mukuro sulking at the news of the suddenly impending human wedding. Apparently her finding out from her mate/ fake father, that Hiei had entrapped within a regenerating plant, weeks ago that she was actually given fake memories of the mate claim had still shaken her to her very core. Made her question nearly every childhood memory she had. She had never had a mate, but was not going to be able to claim the demon she wanted as a mate. And Yasha had to deal with her himself. He had to make himself a trusted adviser. Hiei at least seemed happy for the distance from the two of them when he headed to the Human World for his human wedding.

At Mukuro's request, Yasha followed after him to ensure that he returned that night, even if the human had to be in tow. It did not take Hiei long to realize he had been followed and why. After a strict warning to keep his distance, Yasha agreed, sticking close to the trees on this old psychic's ground. From the top of a high enough tree, he was able to see below the scene of a group of people gathered outside of an old temple. Yasha recognized only Hiei and Nanashi in the group. He got an unusual sense off of Nanashi... something Mukuro would doubly hate to find out. Yet another, make that two, problems.

Yasha kept his eyes on Nanashi, making the terrible decision to drop his guard as he tried to concentrate. In that time, a bat like creature half his size came swooping up from below with a screech. Yasha had just enough time to jump from the tree before the creature reached him. He reached the ground fast, tucking and rolling to break his fall. The creature followed him down, screeching a new. Yasha sent out a blast of wind energy out with his palms, making the creature spin and tumble down in a crash to the ground. The creature hit the ground with a few sickening crunches and a long drag across the dirt. Yasha stayed still as he watched the creature give a few jerks and then laid still. He figured at least Hiei sensed that surge in his energy. Hopefully no one else did.

He stayed crouched down, sensing around to see if there was another similar creature near by. After two minutes, he rose up on the balls of his feet and breathed a sigh of relief. He moved back to climb up his previous tree roost when he sensed a new energy nearly suppressed nearby. He froze at the unfamiliar scent of roses thickening the air. Yasha went on guard again, looking around to see where the scent was coming from. He felt the air around him, ready to summon it up for a weak blast surge if he needed to defend himself.

From the woods behind him emerged a man that looked like a human but from a sense was strongly demonic. The hybrid human-demon's naturally red hair and green eyes clashed, but beautifully. He was dressed fancifully, but looked like if he had to, he could enter into a fight.

Yasha looked him over, rather impressed with what he saw. Based on what he knew from Hiei, this had to be 'the fox', Kurama; a fox demon who plunged his dying soul into an unborn human to survive.

Yasha almost completely dropped his guard, aiming to avoid a fight with oddly mixed bred fighter. Instead, he bowed low, but kept his eyes up to keep watch Kurama carefully. He straightened up and leaned his side on a nearby tree. "So I finally get to meet you after all," he teased out slowly. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Hiei has spoken of you, Kurama." Yasha smirked as he noticed that reveal had caught Kurama off guard. He was not expecting that reveal at all. Just stayed silent, hands behind his back, and staring unabashedly. Yasha attempted to throw him off again. He nodded down to the dead bat creature. "You seem unhappy. Was that your pet?" he asked before risking his next question. "Or your lover? Sorry about that. It attacked me. I had no choice."

If Kurama had been irked by those questions, he did not show it. Frigid. "Who are you?" Kurama question steadily.

"Haven't you a guess? I know who you are?" Yasha replied. "Ah, very well," he sighed and shook his head lazily. "Name's Yasha. Adviser to Mukuro, at your service." He paused, looking at the frigid man across the way from him. "So was that," he nodded again at the bat creature, "important to you in one way or another?"

"Why are you here?" That deep voice certainly could project. He was still on guard, much to Yasha's dislike. He wanted to avoid a fight.

Yasha slid his back down the tree until he came to a causal sitting position on the ground. He kept one leg with the knee bent up and the other leg straightened out. "Uh," he huffed. "Mukuro seems to magically think that because Hiei is going through with this human wedding, that he might not return in the evening. Utterly foolish thought if you ask me." He kept his tone light. Kurama appeared to relax his guard just a little. "Women." He gave off a light hearted laugh. "Fancy yourself one or no?" he asked, casually glancing at Kurama in a one over. He reached into the breast pocket of his tunic, which brought Kurama back on guard. "Calm down," Yasha told him as he pulled out a tattered human book and opened it up to his marked page. "Surely a clever one such as yourself has seen a book before."

Kurama unfortunately did not lax in his guard. "That's Nanshi's book," he observed. Yasha hummed and looked back up at the guarded young man before him. "Toss it over here," he ordered.

Yasha looked up at him in surprise. "If you're going to give me orders, you should really buy me dinner first. Is that not the human way?" Kurama seemed taken aback once more. "Besides, I haven't finished this book yet and Hiei does know I have it. And if I were to give you this book right here right now, what would you do with it? Would you give it back to Nanashi? Which would prompt her to ask you how in the world you got your hands on it? How would you explain without telling her about me? Hmm?"

"No."

"No?" he asked curiously.

"Hiei says you're dangerous."

"Oh, so you do know who I am?"

Instead of responding, Kurama cocked his head slightly and looked back over his left shoulder. "You plan to keep yourself out of sight?"

Yasha smile up boldly at him. "That's possible. Unless of course you want to bring me as a date? You certainly are dressed for it." That remark made Kurama narrow his eyes. Yasha tapped the ground down beside him. "Or you can join me here. Or," he raised his right up in the air, teasing the air nearby to swirl into a tiny ball in the palm of his hand, "or we can fight still if you want? That is what you came all the way up here to do?" Yasha turned his smirk to a frown. "Although I would hate to ruin such a lovely outfit." He let the air go and disperse.

"Keep your distance," Kurama warned him as he turned and began to walk away.

"Good bye handsome human," Yasha called to him. "Or should I say, strong demon." He smiled fully as he watched Kurama leave, enjoying the sight of him. He wondered what it would take to get him in bed.


	69. Chapter 69

The fox stepped out of the tree line and blended back into the small party's mingling. He stepped back up next to Hiei who stood on the outskirts. It was easy to figure out that no one else had noticed the brief spike of demonic energy bar the two of them. The oaf had been too distracted by Yukina and the detective by his mother and the man she had brought with her. Nishi was distracted as well, and a distraction for Hiei at that. He had sent the fox to check on the stranger because he did not want to look away from his mate; beautiful when he thought it did not matter before. Whitened make up, white kimono, and hair styled intricately. Her beauty was unexpectedly entrancing.

The fox stepped in line and spoke softly, "I do believe he was flirting with me." He frowned and furrowed his brow. "He had been attacked by a creature, hence the brief energy burst. He's alright now. He doesn't plan to move from the spot."

"Good," Hiei commented back. "And the flirting was likely an act to keep you from starting a fight. I guess it worked."

The fox followed Hiei's gaze as it landed on Nishi greeting her old friend from her old city. The friend had a surprisingly extroverted personality. Quite an opposites attract, in a platonic way, example.

The fox looked down at Hiei and asked the lingering, unanswered question, "when will you tell her?"

He took a steady breath in and out, gaze still on her. "After," he decided. "After."

"We should go then," the fox said as he began to walking towards the crowd. Hiei fell in step with him.

As they approached, Nishi saw the both of them, but only looked over at Hiei. She took a deep breath and gripped Yukina's arm at the sight of him. While she only gave a sweet smile, he could tell she was very happy to see him.

The Shinto priest and shrine maiden, by the looks of them, that Nishi and Yukina had found and hired came out from the temple. Both looked over at Hiei, looking unnerved at the sight him. When he met the gaze of the priest, the priest looked away and announced for everyone to come into the shrine.

They all did as instructed. Hiei wished they had had a rehearsal as he mentally reviewed all the steps of what came next. First was the purification rites. Next the guests went into the shrine and sat down as Nishi and Hiei stood next to each other at the entrance. She looked down at him and gave a smile that lit up her face, even through all the make up. There was too much there, especially around her eyes. She looked away into the shrine and began muttering under her breath. When it was their turn to enter the shrine, Nishi walked a little too slowly for his tastes, but they made it up to the front and stood at in front with small, medium, and large cups sitting before them with a clearish looking liquid in each cup. Hiei had followed her lead on their entrance and plan to continue to do so as the ceremony continued. She would know better what to do compared to him. She had to.

Hiei looked down at the cups as they were meant to drink from them; starting with the smallest cup to the largest cup. From the cups he caught the whiff of sake; alcohol. As Nishi reached for the first cup, Hiei's hand stopped hers, not sure what to do as they were supposed to drink the sake, but he did not want her to.

She looked down at him, mouthing the word 'what?' He looked up at her, unsure what to do. "Uh, wind dragon protects," she whispered as quietly as she could.

Hiei let her hand go and relaxed, knowing the wind dragon would be protective. The priest shifted uncomfortably and then instructed them to drink the cups. Hiei followed Nishi's motions, moving in time with her motions. She knew what she was doing. They drank from the smallest cup, then the middle sized cup, and then the largest cup. He wondered why they had to bring the cups up and down to their lips twice before they could drink, but he did it as he followed her lead. When they were finished, Hiei enjoyed the burn as he drank and the relaxing effect he could feel from the drinks. No wonder the aunt liked to drink so much.

Annoyingly enough, the next step was for him to read the wedding vow from the scroll up on the altar. The words practically danced before his eyes as he tried to focus on reading it without sounding condescending. When he finished, he gladly went back to Nishi's side and waited by her while the shrine maiden came up to them and handed them a tree branch of some kind... He was unsure what that was even for, but Nishi took it in hand and he followed her lead. When she headed to altar, he went with her and they placed it on the altar. She turned and then started bowing. He quickly put himself in sync with her and did the same. She did it another time and he kept up. After that, they clapped twice. The next step did not throw him off at least as it was time to exchange rings. He gave her her ring first and slipped it on her finger. She did the same with his ring. Lastly, the guests drank their cups of ceremonial sake. He was thankful that whole ordeal was over, and wished he had studied the instructions more carefully.

Next was the reception though. They had to stand at the entryway and receive the guests. Thankfully there were so few of them. The detective told him something that sounded like a rude joke, but Hiei just ignored it. Nishi was more than able to do all the speaking; better than he ever could.

When the short line was finished, Nishi turned to Yukina and the two of them made a bee line for a private room down the hallway. The detective's girlfriend and the reaper were right behind them. When Hiei went to follow them, the fox stopped him, explaining, "she's gone to change and then they'll go to get the food. They've got it."

The four women came out from the room just as quickly, with Nishi's face cleaned up and a new set of clothing; a black kimono with pink and white flowers in the background and a crimson red sash around her waste. Hiei could hardly get a chance to look at her when the four went into the kitchen.

Once the four women had the food brought out, Yukina gently pushed Nishi over to the head table. She also gestured to him to go up there as well. The other three women served the meal for them to eat. Hiei was happy to notice that the meal was something Nishi had cooked before. It had been a long time since he had a meal made by her.

During the meal, the shrine maiden played on a shamisen, a few toasts were made, and the oaf made the terrible choice to try to sing. Hiei tuned the lot out, wanting to get through everything and go home. The senses he got off of Nishi was stronger still. He still had no idea how to tell her. Worse still, how he would tell Mukuro. Mukuro would know the second they returned to the castle. Keeping this secret was going to be impossible. He turned himself inside out mentally trying to figure the best conversational course of action for both women.

Before he knew it, the wedding was over and it was time to go. He felt grateful when that moment came. Nishi said all the goodbyes before she left. She looked beside herself with happiness. At least she had had a good day so far.

Once they got home, Hiei was glad for it, except that he knew he had to tell Nishi now. She was talking speaking happily along as she hung up her wedding kimono carefully in its garment bag. She stroked the bag fondly.

Hiei stepped up behind her before she had a chance to turn around, hand resting on her lower back. "Nishi," he began, hoping he could say what he needed to say. She turned her head to look back at him in wonder with a small smile on her face. There eyes met as he asked, "do you know what your wind dragon said he'd protect?" She frowned in confusion and hummed for filler, paused, and then shook her head. "Turn around," he instructed her as he moved his hand off of her back. She still looked so confused as he brought his hand on the middle of her lower stomach. Two energy sparks flared a little in response; one of the left and one on the right. He wondered how she could have missed it. "You're pregnant," he blurted out without tack.

Her hands where up at her mouth as she gave a loud gasp in shock. Her breathing went from calm to erratic. "No..." she managed to say. "I can't be..." she argued futilely. "The tea..."

Speaking calmly, he explained, "you are. I sensed it when I first saw you today."

She shook her head, trying to speak, but sounded like she was choking instead of speaking. "How long?" she managed to ask.

Hiei told what he knew, "sometime in the past two nights you must have conceived." Her breathing was frenzied still. "I did not sense anything when you were with me before that."

She shook her head, reaching for words to speak. "Two days... but that's possible. No tests cou..." She shook her head as if trying to clear her mind.

When she had stopped speaking, Hiei placed his hand on her right hip. "I can sense them. Here." He moved his hand above her left hip. "And here."

She moved her lips, but no words came out. She swallowed and tried again. "Them?" she asked him, wide eyed. He nodded up at her. "Twi-twin-twinsss..." He nodded at her a second time. She collapsed right where she stood; luckily he was close enough to catch her. "I don't... I can't... its... be... I'm scared..."

He pulled her in closely, hoping that would keep her from crying, which was the last thing he wanted to deal with. She clung to him, trying to stay her breathing, even as she started shaking. She did start crying as well, but out of terror rather than sorrow. Her panic reminded him he still had to talk to Mukuro about this as well. That Mukuro would possibly see it as a slight that Nishi got the explanation first, even though telling her first was a logical decision.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts and focus back on her, "You'll be okay," he whispered to her comfortingly. "All three of you." That had to be something she would have wanted to hear. "I promise."

Sooner, rather than later, her breathing calmed down and went deep, rhythmically, and steady. She had fallen asleep in his arms; exhausted by the day coupled with shock of finding out she was pregnant. He gathered her up in his arms, stood up, and laid her down on her side of their bed. Her face was wet, so he just used his hand to wipe the wetness away. She looked so peaceful and calm now. Out of desire, he leaned down and barely kissed her lips, tasting salt.

He brought his left hand back down to the front of her hips. He removed his head band and closed his eyes. 'Don't kill her,' he told both of them. He looked her over once more before he left the room, heading briskly towards Mukuro's rooms in the high tower.

Hiei arrived at Mukuro's meeting room, not even bothering to knock. Mukuro stood over a small table, Kirin standing beside her. Both were scrutinizing over four papers spread out on the table. "Is there anyway out of this meeting?" she asked Kirin. She cracked the knuckles on her left hand absentmindedly.

Kirin gruffed under his breath. "If the birds hear you refused to go, their gunju could make a pitch to the king for independence because you refused to represent them in this meeting that the king has arranged for all the Demon World leaders. Since you still claim them out of spite, Yasha would certainly jump on that to tell his sister."

Mukuro shook her head thoughtfully. She looked up and saw Hiei standing there, waiting patiently to be acknowledged. Mukuro looked up at him, eyes narrowing at the sight of him. Tension rolled off of her in waves. "Kirin, out," she instructed. "Take the king's letter with you. See what options you can up with that will let me send a representative in my place."

"Yes my lord," Kirin replied as he scooped the papers up neatly. He nodded to Hiei as he left the room.

The tension left in the room was so thick that Hiei felt like it would choke him. He had no idea if he should speak first or wait for her to say something first.

"Nothing to say?" she asked him glaringly. "I thought you were being careful," she gritted through her teeth. "I thought you didn't want children."

"This wasn't planned," he explained evenly.

"Maybe not by you," she responded accusatorially.

He gritted his teeth at her tone. Based on how Nishi panicked, he doubted she attempted to do this on purpose. "She's not that clever," he replied evenly.

"You knocked her up," Mukuro retorted, turning her mean tone on him. "You should have been more careful." She frowned and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How do you know she didn't stop or switched out the tea? Maybe she did it to entrap you."

He did not like her continually temperamental tone, be it aimed at him or Nishi. "I can smell it on her," he explained simply. Internally, he doubted very that he could have missed that.

"Hmm," she hummed under her breath as she raised her left hand up and cracked her knuckles on that hand. "How do you know the children are yours?"

Another stupid question, but he bit his tongue and blocked in his mind at the thought of saying so. "She can't be with anyone else." He spoke his next words carefully, knowing full well Mukuro would not be pleased to hear about mates and mate claiming, especially when she remembered being claimed but knew it never happened. She was free to take a mate, but her body might yet rebel at the attempt. "Mates that attempt to cheat die. Their bodies rebel to the point where the hearts stop." He nodded up at her for good measure. "Even you know that."

Mukuro was quick to counter. "That's what happens to demons, but what about humans? Humans who mate and marry cheat all the time and survive."

"They're my children," he said in a resigned tone that hinted he wanted the matter dropped.

He stood and waited for her continue on bated breath. "You should have told me first. That's two more you've brought into my castle, if the three of them even survive."

He frowned at her reasoning as it sent a shock down his spine. She hinted at how dangerous demon male and human female pregnancies were. While they were rare in themselves, it was not uncommon for the human to die or suffer permanent injury. "She needed to know first."

"Does she know her fate?" she said with a hint of smile in her voice.

"Yes," he replied, while unsure of the real answer. They had never actually discussed having children, let alone the dangers they would pose. The fox might have stuck his nose in that business as well, but he could not be sure. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" he asked short temperately.

She shook her head dismissively. "No, you may go. Sounds like you have a rather uncomfortable explanation ahead of you." She seemed a little to giddy about that.

Hiei left the room, glad to be out of room. He returned to his and Nishi's rooms. Surprisingly, he saw Nishi sitting up in bed, hair a bit unkempt. She held a small box on her lap, moving her index finger over the box in a rhythmic manner. Her head popped up to look at him, looking suddenly very nervous.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, nervous now as well. He stepped closer to her, standing next to her side of the bed.

"I had a nightmare, so I woke up," she said groggily.

"About what?"

"Lost in the woods..." she explained. "You were shouting for me, but I couldn't find you..." She shook her head.

Her fist came up to her mouth, but she pulled it away and held it by her chest. Without looking at him she tipped the small box towards him so he could look at it clearly. He saw 4 rows in the box. The second row from the top held one bag. The two bottom rows held seven tea bags each. The second and third row had white bags and the bottom row held blue bags. It was the tea that the fox gave her. He was apprehensive about her showing this to him, but he had no idea what her action meant.

She finally glanced up at him, and noticed that he was confused and nervous. "Um," she hummed shyly. "What day is today?" she asked him.

"Saturday," he said, waiting patiently to connect the dots about what was going on.

"Which means tomorrow morning is Sunday," she stated obviously. "So," she pointed down to the first tea bag in the third row. She swallowed thickly. "This is the next dose I should take." She pointed back up to the lonely bag in the second row. "Not this one. Which means-"

"You missed a dose," he finished her sentence for her, the dots connected.

She spoke as quickly and as sensically as she possibly could, "Sometime in the passed two weeks, but I can't remember. With final exams and wrangling my way out of going to graduation and the engagement and wedding, and all the sleep I had been missing and all the stress and just, everything. I don't know when I missed it..." She took a steadying breath and rubbed her temples. "I, I, I don't-" she took another deep breath. "I didn't want kids. I looked up information about what could potentially happen in Mukuro's library. But I didn't know how to tell you that. In case you did." Her statement was far from the truth in his case. "But this," she brought her hand down to her lower stomach, "I want to at least try. I know I'm strong enough, I've got to be..." A heavy silence settled over the room, but without the negative energy that the silence with Mukuro had had. She was scared, but determined. "Please say something," she murmured, closing her eyes tightly. "Or, you can read my mind to see that I'm telling the truth..." she consented uncomfortably.

She hated that. Slapped him across the face the last time he did that. "I believe you," he told her honestly. She looks beyond relieved when he said that. She had proven herself in the past to be trust worthy. "And if you want to try, try," he agreed, even though he did not want her to.

She placed both hands on her lower stomach and then looked him in the eyes unabashedly. "I will," she promised resolutely.


	70. Chapter 70

Nishi walked briskly into their rooms, ahead of Hiei. She tried and failed to shut the door on him. He slammed it closed himself.

"What is your problem?!" She rounded on him in rage. "That was one of the best doctors in the country! Diplomats' expecting wives go to him! And you threaten him?!"

He could not understand why she was being so childish. "Another man is not going to touch you."

"He's a doctor!" she shouted. "It's not sexual or romantic or anything right that. Why don't you understand that?"

"Find a female doctor to go to," he bristled.

"Why? Because you'll 'kill' any other male doctor I go to as well?" she sassed out. "Do it. Kill a human. Enjoy prison."

He turned from her, wanting to rage on her instead. He left the room and sought out the stranger, spending the rest of the day and evening with him. He always seemed to enjoy drama and an impromptu spar. After the spar, the stranger was actually able to come up with a clever idea. Nishi would likely not want to go on these appointments all by herself. Since Nishi was now mad at him, then her next likely choice to go on appointments with was Yukina.

Hiei contacted Yukina and easily convinced her not let Nishi go to another male doctor. As a demon herself, Yukina agreed with him and promised to help. She had also asked about progress on finding her brother, but he simply told her there were no leads yet. She was rather disappointed to hear that.

Late in the night, the stranger complained that he was much too tired, so he went to his own rooms. Hiei debated between going back to his and Nishi's rooms or to just go find a tree to sleep in outside. Be that he was still angry with her, if she were unwell in the night, he knew he needed to be near by just in case because with her asleep she might not catch an injury in time. There was no one else in the castle he felt he could trust with her; not the stranger and certainly not Mukuro.

When he went back into their rooms, he saw her sleeping on the very edge of her side of the bed. She jumped awake, finally sensing him when he walked in. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of him.

"Get out," she practically growled.

"No," he responded as he made his way to their bathroom, enjoying a long, hot shower by himself.

When he was finished and came out of the shower, he saw their bedroom was empty. The blankets and her pillow were gone. "Nanashi?" he whispered. She was still nearby.

He moved quickly to check their sitting room, relieved to see her curled up on their couch, appearing to sleep there instead. This time she did not respond to his presence, but based on the way she was breathing arrhythmically, he could tell she was faking being asleep. He left the door wide open between the two rooms, knowing that if she wanted to get up and close it, he knew she would know he knew she was awake. He went to the cold bed and went to sleep.

He woke with a start, hearing her moving around. She moved quickly to leave the room. He glanced at the clock over on her nightstand, seeing that 6 A.M. came early. "Where are you going?" he asked her, blinking sleep from his eyes.

"To see your sister," she responded testily before she left the room.

He kept a sense on her until she got to the portal that sent her to the Human World. After that, he groggily went back to sleep; knowing she would be fine there. She would be near Yukina, or the old psychic, detective, and the fox. Even the oaf could keep her safe in that mundane world.

He was woken back up with a start when he sensed that Nishi had come back to the Demon World and Mukuro's castle. Nishi was standing over, shouting at him again. "When did you call her?!" Her newfound temper was starting to make him like Mukuro's temperament more. "Why would you tell Yukina not to let me go to a male doctor?"

"Yesterday," he responded to her, sitting up in bed. "Because your mine," he explained.

"I can tell Yukina things too," she hinted threateningly.

He growled at her, "do that and I will go after any male doctor I can find."

"If I have to find a female doctor, then you never go to any appointments with me," she made what sounded like her last threat.

"Deal," he responded, much to what looked like a flash of fury and disappointment on her face.


	71. Chapter 71

Two weeks later, Nishi kept herself frigid, nearly silent, and distant in her anger. Hiei had heard from her enough to know that she had at least given in and had found not only a female doctor, but was being seen at a hospital that only allowed female staff and patience. To him, the set up sounded perfect.

While Nishi maintained her near silence, Mukuro had called in her small council, Hiei, the stranger, and Kirin together. She had the letter from the current Demon World king. In the letter, it gave a direct order that anyone who had territorial claims in the Demon World had to come to a meeting at his castle in two days time. Each claimant could bring one other representative from their territorial claim as well.

Mukuro began to explain,"since I've taken over different territories in my time, Kirin has advised I attend this meeting, lest a few territories," she gave a side glance at the stranger, "make a claim for independence to the king since I missed the oh so important meeting." She looked over at Hiei. "Hiei will be the one who goes with me, while Yasha and Kirin will stay and run Alaric in my place."

"What?!" the stranger growled, clearly not a fan of this decision. Kirin looked unphased and not concerned. Hiei felt rather surprised himself, unsure what to think.

"Kirin is more than capable of running Alaric by himself, but Yasha staying along with him should he need back up assistance should anything rebellious happen. Besides, according to this letter, it is only two weeks long. Yasha can't cause that much trouble in that length of time."

Kirin went to verbalize his approval, but the stranger was out spoke him. "Why are you taking him?!" he pointed at Hiei. Jealousy evident in his voice. "I've been with you longer. I represent one of those territories you're worried about."

"You're not going, Hiei is," Mukuro told him calmly, but definitively.

Hiei and Kirin stood and watched while he argument kept going. Yasha's hands twitched in his gloves. "I've been with you longer. I've lived my entire life in the Demon World. He was exiled in the Human World for robbing the prince of the Spirit World. Kirin should stay here because he has the most experience with you. I'm the best option to go with you."

"You're not going," Mukuro told him without hardly any temper that Hiei would have expected.

The stranger slammed his fist on the table that held the letter from the demon king. "He has a mate. A, a, huh, a weak, ugh, human mate. That's pregnant. He shouldn't leave her here without him. Without anyone he can trust with her."

Mukuro just shook her head, "no Yasha. She's neglecting him anyway." Her calm response was as odd as it was eerie. Her temper was nonexistent.

"You would have to take his mate with you as well," the stranger counted. That got Mukuro scowling at the idea. "Do you really think he would leave her here? I'm not to go near her. Who here can he trust with her?"

"He can send her to the Human World," Mukuro countered. "People he trusts with her are there."

"You would separate two mates? Without their consent?" He was desperate to go to this meeting. "You have to keep them together!"

Mukuro growled under her breath. "No," she shook her head calmly. "Why do you care so much about politics all of a sudden?"

"Because the Hayato clan needs a represented too. Not just by you," the stranger explained.

"They exiled you to here," Mukuro said.

"Then bring my brother in law with you instead then. Or my sister," the stranger pushed.

"No," Mukuro responded like a broken record.

"Why?" he nearly sounded like he was whining.

"I said-" Mukuro began.

Hiei interrupted her, "I don't want to go."

"What?" Mukuro asked in surprise. "Why?" she questioned him irritably.

Hiei stalled, not sure what to say in response. "Not without Nanashi," he went as hard and low as he could to get out of this meeting the stranger was so desperate to go to.

Mukuro scowled at him, her voice grinding, "she's not even bothering to talk to you. I'm not bringing her with us."

"She goes with me," he responded. "You can't make us separate." His words were hollow, but reasonable enough to argue with. Plus the stranger was desperate to go the king's meeting where he himself felt he would rather not go.

Kirin, who had been quiet for quite a while, spoke up. "You'll fair better in this meeting with someone who wants to be there rather than one who is distracted by his mate who could potentially need medical assistance in the next eight months."

Mukuro frowned, taking in Kirin's advice. "Kirin stays as my replacement. Hiei stays as the second in command, and Yasha will go with," she said through her teeth.

The stranger was ecstatic once she finished speaking.


	72. Chapter 72

Mukuro and the stranger left as soon as they could for the king's meeting. A week after they had left, Nishi was still being as silent as possible with Hiei. So far, there had been no issues within the castle or within the territory itself. Kirin was coming off as a little bit of an over planner, trying to organize and work ahead for when Mukuro returned right away. To Hiei it seemed too much, but when Kirin also insisted on doing nearly everything himself, he did not mind one bit. Even if they did had to get up earlier than usual to work. Nishi was always asleep then still. Not that she would talk to him if she were awake anyway...

Early on the eighth morning, Kirin did ask for was a current map of Alaric, requesting Hiei find one while he worked. Annoying, but simple enough. He went himself to the library to ask for a map. He did look about as he walked in, wondering where Nishi was in the large room. The room did have one head librarian and four scribes and assistants under the elderly male demon.

Hiei went right up to the head librarian, whose head popped up as he neared the desk piled with papers and books, but he did not quite look a Hiei right. "Can I help you?" he asked squinting as his eyes came to rest on the area where Hiei was standing.

"I'm looking for a map of Alaric," he requested, trying not to look like he was looking around too much.

"Ah, yes," the head librarian sounded quite chipper. "We have lots of those. If you kindly look to my personal assistant, the human fighter Nanashi, she can help you find just he one you'll be wanting. She knows this place like the back of her hand."

"Not here yet," a slim female demon scribe who happened to be walking by said. She sounded a little disgruntled over it.

The head librarian tutted under his breath, but without any annoyance. "Sick again likely," he said without a care. "When she is feeling better, she'll be down. She always makes up her work staying late."

"What do you mean, sick again?" Hiei asked the head librarian cautiously.

"It's the babies who cause it, she says," the head librarian with a jolly smile. "Such an odd and rare thing for a demoness that would be, but she says its very normal for humans." He shook his head and sighed. "The translations we are working on together will have to wait."

Hiei felt nervous, turning from the head librarian. "Have the map, a current map, found and sent up to Kirin in Mukuro's office right away."

"You do not wish to wait for it?" the head librarian questioned.

"No," Hiei said, as he left the room, moving quickly and quietly from the room.

He headed to his and Nishi's rooms, concerned and annoyed to hear from someone he did not know about this so called sickness. He sensed in the rooms carefully, sensing her there. This was saving him he worry of tracking her down somewhere in the castle. He heard the sound of her gagging coming from their bathroom, with its door halfway open. He peered around the door, seeing her on her knees in front of the toilet, shutting the lid with a loud crack and then flushing it.

"Fuck this," she mumbled and groaned under her breath as she ran her hands through her hair.

She was dressed for work, but was missing a sock. Huffing, she stood up moved on over to the sink, her back still turned to him. She turned on the faucet, ducked her head down, and appeared to be drinking from it. She turned off the faucet, swished the water in her mouth, and spat it out distastefully as she gave a small, silent gag.

When she went to pick up her toothbrush and toothpaste, he stepped fully into the room, appearing noticeably to her in the mirror. She gave a jump as he asked, "what's wrong with you?"

"Damn it!" she hissed as she turned to look at him. "What's wrong with you?!" she asked with near equal levels of irritation that Mukuro had had with her. Her face was paler with a tint of green. She looked slightly clammy as well.

She turned away from him as she began the process of brushing her teeth, focusing on her front teeth only. The act seemed to be too much for her though as she gagged noisily and threw up a small amount directly into the sink. She threw her toothbrush down into the sink angrily. She turned on the faucet before she sat down on the floor in a rush, whining loudly. She drew her knees up to her chest and set her legs between her knees. She was whimpering.

He watched her, trying to think what the fox would have done in this case. Unsure, he still acted. He stepped over to the sink, ignoring the lingering smell of bile, grabbed her toothbrush, and cleaned it off in the water. Next, he turned off the water and set the brush in the cup by the sink.

After that, he knelt down in front of her. Before he could say anything, she mumbled in irritation at him, "I could have done that myself." She still had her head down between her knees.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked her steadily, worried about how she might respond though.

"Morning sickness," she griped, head hung low. "Came early because there's two."

"Are they-" he started and then restarted. "Have you-"

She seemed to catch the thread of the question he struggled to ask. "That has nothing to do with that. It's early, but that female doctor did say they are good so far."

"Why are you sick then?" he questioned, confused at why she was sick.

"Because of stupid hormones or something else just as stupid. Double dose of them." She raised her head up and looked over at him, reading the confusion on his face. "You lived in the Human World. How do you not know about how morning sickness works?" She grunted in annoyance. "Demon women get off easy. This human, not so much." She leaned her head down on the wall behind her. "They're fine, if that's what you're worried about. As for me, once my body adjusts to pregnancy, I'll be fine too." With that, she slumped down to the left, bringing her hands in front of her. "I'm tired again," she murmured as she pushed herself up to a standing position.

Walking gingerly, she left the room and straight for their bed. Without even bothering to pull the blankets back, she laid down on the middle of the bed and curled into a ball. He went over to where she lay and sat down near where her head lay. He cautiously placed a hand on her forehead, wet but her temperature seemed normal. She batted his hand away.

Her stomach gave a loud and yet surprising growl. "I'm hungry," she hummed. "And sleepy..." She drifted easily off to sleep.

He rose up from the bed, debating what to do. Kirin had no idea where he was, but Nishi had been sick and now said she was hungry... He made the conscience decision to head for the kitchen and dining area.

The diner area was empty, crew cleaning up. He went over to the kitchen, hoping he could find something Nishi could eat.

The sprite was standing near the entry, spotting him immediately. She ran over to and ask him several rapid fire questions, none of which he could clearly understand. "So she's feeling better now? Suddenly ravenous?" she asked with a cheery laugh. He gave a quick nod.

Without waiting for him to respond verbally to anything she asked, she ran off like a flash. He went to follow her, but she was running back over to him with two plates of simple food. One plate had an apple cut into pieces, but straight down the middle instead of in wedges. The core still remained. On the same plate there were two small loaves of bread, wrapped up carefully. They smelled fresh and warm. The other plate held a handful of nuts and a hunk of plain cheese.

The sprite thrusted the plates into his hands, talking rapidly. "I'm sure she's told you, but just in case. She says this is what she's craving and that the cravings are so stupid for coming so early. This is what she's been eating for breakfast and lunch for a few days in a row now. Only things she says she only wants are apples and hot bread to settle her stomach. She wants the core too, likes the seeds. The bread is wrapped up to keep it warm. But she needs to try to eat something with protein in it too, but says the smell of meat makes her gag. Oh, remember not to let the cheese touch the bread. Hence two plates. She won't eat it. I gotta go, 'kay, bye!"

The sprite spirited herself away before he could even think of a question to ask. He took the plates with him, walking back to their rooms. He had to carefully open the doors to their rooms without dropping either plate; bring the cheese and nut plate to rest on his forearm. He stepped into their bedroom, seeing Nishi still curled up in the middle of the bed on top of the covers.

She groaned as she sensed him near her. "Is that bread fresh?" she asked groggily, but hungrily.

She reached over to it and grabbed the plate with the bread and apple slices on it. Sitting up in spot, she tore off the wrapping on the bread. Next she ripped one of the bread in half, putting half of the apple slices between the two before consuming the odd sandwich quickly. She assembled a second one just as quickly and consumed it.

"Oh," she said in between her licking of her fingers. "Thanks," she said with a hint of embarrassment. He looked at her puzzled as he held out the nut and cheese plate. "Ugh," she grumbled, holding her hands up, grimacing, and shaking her head. "Cheese is almost as bad as meat," she pouted. "You can have it," she consented. "And the nuts. The cheese probably touched them." She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought. She then gave a yawn, pushed the bread and apple plate away, and laid back down without another word.

"At least lay under the blankets," he told her, not sure what was up with her. She had distanced herself from him in the past few weeks, but she was being so odd.

She hummed in annoyance, shoving the plate on the bed to the floor without a care. He caught it before it could break. He sat it down on his nightstand as well as the plate with cheese and nuts.

As he moved, she was also moving to crawl under the blankets. "Stay with me," she requested, reaching over to him.

He watched her lay still, but she was still awake based on how quick her breathing was. He debated about whether or not to climb into the bed with her. On one hand, Kirin still had no map of Alaric from him and no clue why. On the other hand, she wanted him to stay.

Giving into temptation, he climbed into the bed with her. As he kicked off his boots, she crawled over to him, resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry I've been so mean," she whimpered. "You had just pissed me off is all."

"I'll stay until you fall asleep," he told her, unsure what else to say.

Her head slumped down, bringing her upper body with her as her head came to rest on his thigh and her hand rested on his knee. Untangling himself from her like this was going to make it difficult to leave without her waking up. He brought his hand down to her head, running his fingers through her hair delicately. It was soft and silky to the touch. She stirred, but did not stay his movements. It was quite peaceful sitting here with her laying on him like this. He leaned his head back on the headboard, planning to leave after she had been asleep for ten to fifteen minutes. That would have to be enough time for her to be in a deep enough sleep for him to leave without her knowing...

He jerked awake, feeling movement nearby. His eyes blinked open, seeing Nishi rising up in front of him. "What time is it?" she asked. She looked over at her alarm clock and then swore under her breath as the time read just after twelve. "I've never been this late before," she said as she scrambled from the bed. He watched as she rushed over to where her shoes lay. "Where's my sock?" she asked rhetorically, spotting it on the floor by the bathroom door. She rushed to it and put in as she hopped over to where her shoes were. She slipped them on in a rush before grabbing a rectangular shaped bag and then making a break for the door.

He rose up, moving right after her as she ran swiftly to the library. He had no trouble keeping up with her and she hardly acknowledged him following her.

"I'm so sorry, Manabu, sir," she rushed out breathlessly as she came to stand in front of the head librarian. "I got the laptop with me... Charged up from the last time I was in the Human World... So we can do more translations... But do you want lunch first...?"

The old man turned his head towards where she was talking and laughed. "Don't fret so much," he told her sweetly. "It's no good for you. Or for the babies." She blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Is that your mate standing over there? The short, blackish blur?"

"Yes," she said nodding.

"He came in for a map earlier. Did he get it yet?" the head librarian asked her.

She frowned and shook her head. "No," she said, not understanding what he was talking about. She looked back over at him behind her as he stepped over to stand next to her.

"I've already eaten," the head librarian told her. "Another lovely lady has beaten you to your chance to assist me," he said with a laugh. He made a sweeping gesture with his hand towards where Hiei was standing next to her. "But maybe you could assist him? Perhaps all day?" he hinted.

"But I should have been here three hours ago," she countered.

"You can make it up tomorrow," he dismissed.

"But the translations from the ancient demonic languages to the-"

"Can wait until tomorrow." The head librarian leaned his head forward. "Go take the day off. Rest. Spend it with your mate." She shifted silently. "Go. If you need it to be, that's an order," he said with a grin.

"O... kay..." she breathed out. "Um..." she hummed at Hiei. "I guess... come on then..."

After they left the library, he stopped her and explained, "I need to go tell Kirin where I've been."

She hummed under her breath. He turned from her and head towards Mukuro's rooms where Kirin would be working. Unexpectedly, she followed him. Being that Mukuro was not here, he felt no qualms with letting her follow.

Once they reached the office Kirin had been working in, he went in without knocking and she followed suit, hands up by her face.

Kirin looked up from the desk he was sitting at. "One of the librarians brought me a few maps two and a half hours ago. Did that one find some more?"

"Did you get the one you needed?" Hiei asked the slightly irked cohort in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nishi looking curiously around the room.

Kirin's gaze went from Hiei to Nishi. "I heard you were pregnant," he said to her. Her eyes snapped back to his, looking at him mutely and uncertainly. "Congratulations," he said dryly.

"Hm, thank you," she said nervously.

"How long again?" he asked for clarification.

"Month," she responded in a quiet voice.

Kirin turned his gaze back to Hiei. "Mukuro sent word that the meeting has been extended for a week. She's rather cross about it." Hiei nodded, not surprised. "Take a day with your mate," he added. "When Mukuro gets back, there may not be many chances for that."

Hiei frowned at him, unsure why he would let him do that before he led Nishi out the door. She gave a quick and mousy good bye for both of them.

The two of them left without another word. "Um, lunch...?" she asked him shyly, but hopefully. Unsure what else to do, he nodded in agreement. She gave a shy smile, turning to head towards the kitchens with him moving in step with her.

When they had arrived there, the staff was cleaning up. They were able to get some food, but were told to eat elsewhere. They went away to their rooms, settling down in their sitting room.

As they sat down to eat, he noticed she pushed the meat to the side of her plate, nose twitching at the sight of it. "Do you want this?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence. "I won't eat it, but I'd hate to waste it. Usually I give Manabu."

"Why don't you want it?" he asked as she dug into the rest of her meal.

"I don't like the taste all of a sudden," she responded. "Stupid hormones." Without another word, he brought his plate next to hers, slid the meat onto his and then pushed half of his rice and vegetables onto her plate. "That's not a fair trade," she said with a small laugh. Before she took a bit, she spoke again. "I'm sorry for, um, ignoring you the past few weeks. I was, just, mad. But, I think I can understand why you were mad too..." she hummed. When he did not respond, she brought her hand to her hips. "Do you want to know what I've found out...?" He nodded at her before he started to eat. She just kept talking, seeming to enjoy the moment where she could do that. He had to prompt her to keep eating herself. Even as they had finished their meal, she kept talking, going off on tangents, apologizing, and returning to them again. It was a bit like talking to her when she was sleeping and he entered into her dreams. She could not focus on just one topic in those moments as well.

As she kept talking, she shifted slowly and carefully until she eventually had her head laying down on his lap. His hand snaked down on to her hair, running his hands through it. She shifted her head so her face was turned up to face him. He lifted his hand up and brought it back down to rest on her rib cage.

"I turn and suddenly you're not interested in playing with my hair?" she teased. He looked at her curiously. "Should I close my eyes so you can steal a kiss too?" Her smile was quite mischievous. "Did you think I never noticed? Well, maybe not all the time." She brought her hand down to his on her ribs. "So what have you been up to in the past month?" she asked him curiously, trying to get him talking now. It worked more or less, but she kept asking 'why.' Unlike with the large demon, he had not minded one bit when she asked that. Turning her head down towards the coffee, she looked over at the dishes. "Those need to be washed before the leftover food dries and makes it so much harder to clean." She rolled off of him and the couch and gathered up the dishes into one pile. "I'll run these down. Won't take but more than a minute."

She did as she said, moving quickly out of the room. He watched her go, feeling an eerie, silent, and peaceful calm settle around the room without her there. He leaned restfully against the couch and closed his eyes. He sensed her come back into the room in no time.

He opened his eyes as she reached over to his hand and tugged on him. "If were going to both get out of work today, let's not spend it inside. Let's walk instead." Her words were firm, but her tone was mousy.

He agreed, coming up with no reason otherwise to not join her. At her lead, they went off exploring the grounds around the castle. She kept talking, explaining about her time in the library. She had become the personal assistant to the old head librarian Manabu. He had been working for Mukuro in her library for ages. She kept him on as head librarian, even as his sight grew dim. She had brought healers in to try to restore his sight, but they were unable to do so as it was a natural degeneration. She offered to send for Shigure, but he turned down her offer, saying he had heard Shigure asked for much too high a price. He accepted that he could barely see in front of him, so she gave him assistants instead. Since Nishi was the newest assistant, she had no issues taking on a role of personal assistant and was helping him with translations and preservation of old demonic texts with him by using a human laptop to save the retyped data. The only downside being when the computer's battery and the spares she had brought as well were drained, they would have to wait until she next went to the Human World again to charge them up.

When the sun started to hint at setting, she called him over as she headed back towards the castle, saying she wanted dinner. Once they got to the kitchens, the sprite served them, ensuring Nishi was passed an extra portion of rice and vegetables when no one was looking.

After getting dinner, they went back to their rooms, and ate once more in their sitting room. Nishi continued on talking as they ate about the library work. She seemed to enjoy her work, especially with the head librarian.

Once finished, she settled down with her back leaning against the arm of the couch. She beckoned him over towards her. Without an issue, he leaned down against her, resting his head on her chest. She brought her arms around as she shifted her body so she could rest more comfortably.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked once she settled. He nodded as he felt her tense up. "What would your... mother... think of me?" she asked.

"I don't know," he responded. "Probably would be intrigued about you being a human."

She gave a small laugh. "Yukina said the same the thing when I asked her what her mother would think of her being friends with me." When he went tense, she was quick to explain. "I didn't say anything else, just like you asked. But she did say she would be intrigued too. But about a strong human."

"Hn," he grunted at her as she gave another small laugh.

"I wonder how my parents would react to you."

"Your aunt said they would be scared."

"After that," she carried on. "Would be an interesting conversation."

He thought about it, given in to the temptation to tease her. "I could tell them you how I've gotten you to scream in the past." It must have taken her a second to understand his meaning. She gasped and smacked his chest playfully. "What you enjoy. Sometimes more than reading." She smacked him again, a little harder, but just as playfully.

He turned around on top of her so he was face to face with her. His mouth came to hers, surprising her as she jumped. Since their last fight, there had been no chance for anything like this. She pulled her mouth away and bit her lip. She glanced over at the dirty dishes laying on the coffee table.

When he went to kiss her again, she brought her finger up to his lips. "Those dishes need taken down before they get gross. I took the last ones, so can you take these ones down?" she requested sweetly.

He rose up off of her, annoyed that she had desisted in his movements. He moved quickly to carry out her request, hoping that if he did this quickly, she would let him pick up where he left off.

When he had left her, she had been fully dressed on the couch. When he came back to their rooms, he did not see her in their sitting room. He sensed her nearby, he went and opened the door between the sitting room and the bedroom, he stopped when he saw her.

She was on her knees in front of him, his spar cloak around her. Her head was down, her black hair down, spilling over her shoulders. When she looked up at him, he could see she was wearing all black lingerie. He stepped forward just enough to pull the door closed behind him and fumbled to lock it. She rolled up to a standing position from her heels, looking a mix of excited and nervous. Her hands went to his, holding them down by his sides as she leaned down and kissed him, taking the lead. When he went to bring his hands up to her sides, she held fast to her grip on his hands. She pressed up against him hesitantly. He slipped his hands out of hers, bringing his hands to her hips. She gave a little gruff under her breath as she pulled his scarf off. He pulled his spar cloak off of her, trying to push her towards the bed.

Surprisingly, she pushed back as she pulled off the cloak he wore. She pushed him rather roughly back against the door, sliding her hands into his. She brought his hands up to rest by his head, pinning them there. Her mouth came down to his neck trailing down along it. Her hands pressed on his hands into the door before she slid her hands down his arms and along his sides and brought her hands to his belts to undo them. As she undid the front of his pants, she brought her mouth back up to his.

As he snaked his hands to her upper back, she spoke mousily, "hands off tonight."

He paused, bringing his hands off of her and bringing them back down to his sides. He felt annoyed, but a little bit thrilled that she was taking control, but by being so damn nervous about doing it.

His annoyance took a back seat when she brought her mouth back over to his as she shakily slipped her hand into his pants and teased him. Her other hand came to rest on the side of his jaw, holding his mouth where she wanted him. Her hands were soft and thorough, but firm. She was going to need to get on her back or knees for him soon if she was not careful.

"Um," she breathed shakily. "One or two?" she stuttered out, looking him in the eyes. His smirk seemed to answer the question. She swallowed nervously right before she kissed her way down his body until she came to rest on her knees.

After pulling him out from his pants, she brought him into her mouth. Before he could even think to bring his hands to her hair, she pressed his hands back against the door. Her hands came up to the front of his hips. He groaned aloud at the thought that she would not let him do anything. His hands twitched as his nails dug into the wood of the door; wanting more than anything to move his hands on her hair or her jaw. He just wanted to move. Involuntarily, his hips bucked.

She slid her mouth off of him and frowned. He looked down at her nervously. She bit his thigh in a surprising move. She brought her mouth on him again before he could say anything, teasing and dancing her tongue around him. He just wanted to move... He lost it when she began humming as she moved her mouth.

Once he finished, she took her mouth off of him, looking up at him with seductive smirk. He sighed as his legs and back began to slide down the door.

He was half way on the ground when she grabbed him by the forearms and pulled him over with her to the bed. She set him down on the bed, tugging off his shirt, too tired to even think of stopping her, not that he would have anyway. She sat down on his lap, smirking timidly as she batted his hands away. That was getting more annoying that enjoyable. His nails dug into the bed sheets in frustration. Her mouth came to his, boldly taking the lead. When he brought his mouth more firmly on hers, trying to take the lead.

In response she pulled her mouth away, leading him to half growl, half groan under his breath. She paused, looking at him nervously. He felt like kicking himself for pulling her away from her fun. Half of him wanted to throw her on her back, the other half wanted to let her do whatever she wanted.

She pushed him gently on her shoulders, so timid in that action alone. He brought himself down to lay beneath her, voluntarily bringing his hands up by his head. He closed his eyes against the temptation to take control. Her hands and mouth moved and danced over his torso, turning him on all over again. He just wanted to touch her...

When she abruptly stopped moving, he opened his eyes to see why. She was removing her bra. He groaned, wanting to touch her even more. She got off the bed, bringing his pants and boxers down along with her. He watched her, uninhibited. She pulled off her panties, making him really wish she would let him touch her. She moved back over top of him, breathing rapidly. He brought his hands up, wanting to reach over to touch her, but when she froze timidly over top of him, he brought his hands down to rest by his sides, gripping hard on the blanket beneath him.

She avoided his eyes as he watched her face curiously, wanting to know what she would do to him next. She lined her hips up with his, sliding him inside of her with a stifled moan. He was unsure if he was hard enough for her to go for that already. She rested her left hand steadily on his side as she brought her right hand up her to mouth, breathing heavily. She was trembling over top of him as she reach her right hand down and began to touch herself with him inside of her. She whimpered as her fingers moved, gripping him so tight. When he tried to move his hips on her, she pressed down on his side and shook her head. She kept her head hung low as she panted steadily. She slowed her movements down, bringing her left hand up to her mouth, biting her first knuckle. She brought her hand back down to his side, face and chest flushed pink. He could tell she was close, but could not quite get herself there. It was sweet torture to just lay there, to watch, and to feel used by her in this way.

"Uhm," she panted. "Touch me..." she requested.

He did not have to be told twice as he ran his hands over the front of her thighs. She was still struggling to enjoy herself. His hands moved next up and over her chest, pushing her to straighten her back as he did so. He ran his hands over her front, making her tighten and murmur under her breath. She was close, so close. He wanted to get her there without taking control from her.

Trying not to sound fake, he moaned, "oh Nishi... don't stop..."

It seemed to motivate her because she moved her hand faster and rocked her hips. He brought his hands down to her hips, gripping them tightly. She threw her head back and panted out his name as she came.

Her upper body pitched forward with her stopping her fall with her hands by his shoulders. She was red faced and panting. "One... position... one position," she panted out. "Pick one..."

After a second to think, he rolled her over onto her back and was inside of her before she realized what was happening. She cried out over the span of three breaths as she locked her legs around his lower back and gripped his shoulders tightly; nails biting into his flesh. He slammed into her, trying to hold back so he would not hurt her. She was busy whimpering and writhing beneath him in the time he needed to finish.

As he moved to pull out of her, she held fast to him. "Can you say it?" she panted out the odd request. He was not sure what she was requesting him to say. "You haven't said it in a while..."

The request made sense now. He brought his mouth down to her ear and whispered, "mine."

"No," she said quickly, but without any malice. He looked her in the eye, trying to gauge her meaning then. She brought her hand up to the side of his face and rested it there. "Mine," she breathed out with a sweet smile on her face.

The look in her eyes told him it was true and she meant it. He realized in that moment even if she was cursed to love him, it was real to her. That it could become real for him too if he chose to let it.


	73. Chapter 73

The meeting that Mukuro and the stranger attended that originally was to last two weeks ended up lasting over three months in total. The letters she sent each time there was an additional few days or a week tacked on got shorter and shorter in temperament. Each letter also gave specific, but easy to understand instructions for what to do and when to do it. Kirin had no issues taking the lead on her instructions.

In the three months Mukuro and the stranger were gone, Nishi's own temperament and morning sickness spiked at the two month mark and then suddenly faded away and she transformed into calmness personified; with a dash of sleepiness thrown in. Being around her, even when she was just quiet and siren was peaceful. Near enough to what it had been like to look into the tear gem Mukuro currently wore around her neck.

Once Nishi found out Hiei near enough could read the minds of the twins, she would consistently ask what they were thinking or feeling. Their thoughts were basic, subconscious. Ones thoughts showed a liking for heat and one for cold... Both loved Nishi, if that was what the feeling could be called at that point. She seemed rather excited to hear anything he had to say about them, even if he had already told so her several times over.

When Mukuro and the stranger finally returned, Mukuro called a meeting with her council. In the meeting, she let them know the delay was over a territorial dispute between two other lands that had nothing to do with them, but still everyone had to sit in on the meetings and say there until the dispute was resolved. The stranger did joke that he at least was able to have some fun while the meetings were happening.

After that council meeting, Mukuro did her own interior investigation of her castle after having been gone so long. The only person she let go with her was the stranger. She had to drag him along with her as he complained that he would rather rest and relax than go on this audit.

Hiei had not seen either one of them the rest of that day. When he returned to his and Nishi's rooms that night, he saw Nishi sitting on the couch looking distraught along with the slim demoness he had seen once in the library earlier. The slim demoness had her head in her lap, crying. Nishi saw him and shook her head quickly at the sight of him. He stepped away back into the bedroom and just waited; feeling like Nishi would rather tell him first what happened rather him just looking right into her mind for it.

After longer than he wanted to wait, he heard the main door open and shut. Nishi came through the door at a sluggish pace. She sat down on the bed with no energy. "Aeka..." she sighed and then scowled. "Mukuro came to the library earlier today by herself. Asking a lot of questions. A lot of hard questions. And Aeka crumbled..." She looked upset and anguished. "After that meeting, we found out that... Manabu's going to be sent away as her emissary for Alaric. Mukuro argued he had been with her so long, she could trust him. Aeka argued over it before I had a chance... So she's been sent away with him as his assistant..." she paused, letting a heavy silence ensue. "I can't help thinking I should have been the one who spoke up instead... Mukuro wouldn't be able to send me away like that. She would not let you leave too... She trusts you," she could not help but scowl. "Do you think you could convince her to not send Manabu away?" she asked him with near desperation.

"I don't know," he responded honestly.

She sighed heavily, hand coming to rest protectively on her stomach. "Hopefully who ever she replaces Manabu with will at least be half as understanding as he is... And will still help me with all those translations..." She moved her head, bringing it rest on his shoulder. "At least I know she won't send you away from me too..."

He was unsure, but he felt like the removal of the head librarian had been out of spite since Nishi had also bonded with the old man.


	74. Chapter 74

Once Nishi was one week shy of eight months pregnant, she told Hiei she wanted to stay in the Human World until she gave birth as it would be easier for her once she went into labor. Hiei had no issue with her request, and agreed to go with her, much to Mukuro's distaste for the idea; snidely commenting that she had wrapped him around her finger in all her cursed nature.

Once they got to the old psychic's temple, Hiei found it disagreeable, but did not argue it, that the old psychic told them they could not share a room, considering what Nishi did with the wind mage last time she stayed a the temple. Nishi would instead share a room with Yukina and Hiei was given a room next to the old psychic. There would be no chance for either one of them to try for some alone time, not that Nishi was in the mood for that anyway. Hiei ended up spending most nights sleeping in a tree near Nishi's and Yukina's room's window. He never entered the room, so the old psychic had no room to complain.

Nishi was fitful in her sleep, waking up often during the night. Hiei slept connected to her mind, waking up each time with her as well. Yukina also woke up and was by her side in an instant to comfort her.

Nishi also napped during the day, saying she always felt tired and sometimes hot or cold. Hiei watched her, amazed at how she handle the heat from the fire half-demon inside of her and the cold from the ice half-demon inside of her. Sometimes it was either one doing it or both at the same time. At either's worse, she would have to stop what she was doing and sit down and wait impatiently for the temperature change and the pain it caused to pass. Yet her body sustained no noticeable permanent damage; made no threats to lose them. She could rival a demoness. She was strong.

Hiei woke with a disorientating start, slipping out of Nishi's mind in the process. He heard the old psychic shout out the window for him, "Get in here! Your mate's gone into labor."

He did not need to be told twice as sped through the window and was next to Nishi as quick as he could. Her face looked pained and frightened as he got her out of the building, down the too many steps, and into the detective's future mate's car, calling Yukina in with them.

As they drove to the hospital, a contraction hit Nishi, making her turn to Hiei, grip his hand with strong force. She held back a whimper by turning to him and biting him painfully hard on the shoulder. He gruffed under his breath at feeling of her teeth and her hand's powerful forces. With he was feeling, he was certain she was feeling worse.

Once they got to the hospital, Nishi was taken to her own room for delivery, after insisting and then lying that Yukina was her sister to keep her with them. Hours ticked by in a whirl of checks, thankfully all done by female doctors and nurses. When not in pain that seemed to be getting worse as the time went by, she passed the time by dozing, reading, or talking. When a doctor came in with a long needle, Hiei gave pause at the sight of it as Nishi did as the doctor bid and turned onto her side.

Hiei reached over and stopped the doctor in her approach by standing between her and Nishi. The doctor froze nervously. Nishi turned her head over and saw what he was doing. "Please get out of her way," she whined at him. "It's will help me with the pain." She looked noticeably upset with him.

Hiei was unsure whether to back down or not. Yukina stepped up to him, taking his forearm, and pulled him towards the door gently. "Come on," she said softly. "Let's get her some ice chips."

He let her guide him with her, feeling like she took way too long to grab a disposable cup, fill it of so carefully with ice, shook it once, twice, fumbled to put a lid on the cup, emptied the ice on the top of the cup out, and then placed the lid securely on the cup. When she finished, she led him back to the Nishi's room. She was now laying back on her back with her eyes closed. The doctor who had brought the needle was nowhere to be seen. She blinked over at them and shook her head.

"Finished," she said with a sigh.

After that, time ticked by with more tests and checks. Nishi seemed to be handling the pain even better now, like it was hardly there anymore. Stronger than expected.

The same doctor that had brought the long needle in earlier came in once more, with two female nurses with her. Nishi reached over to him and pulled him by hand to stand right by her head. She held tightly to his hand as she started breathing rapidly while the doctor checked her from the bottom of the bed.

The doctor looked up at Nishi, avoiding Hiei's eyes. Nishi let his hand go and gripped the side rails of her bed. She nodded up at her and Nishi closed her eyes and nodded back. "Both babies are facing downward. The right one is going to come first." Nishi's breathing was going faster and deeper. "Get ready to push."

Nishi reached back over to Hiei, gripping his hand with a crushing force. Yukina stepped over to her other side and laid her hand on hers. It did not take even a second to grabbed her hand as well. He could feel her hand start to shake.

"Alright Nanashi," the doctor said. "Push." Nishi did as she was bid, gripping his hand in a vice grip and gave an unsavory scream that puttered out into a small series of whimpers. "Breathe," the doctor instructed, counting to ten under her own breath. "Push," the doctor repeated her instruction. Nishi obeyed without responding. Again she screamed and panted. She was blinking back tears sliding down her red face. "Breathe," the doctor told her once more. Nishi let Yukina's hand go and brought it to her face to wipe her eyes. When she winced, the doctor told her again, "push." She obeyed as she whimpered loudly, hand coming back to Yukina's. "Breathe," the doctor told her. She panted deeply. "Almost there. That's it. Push." She gave a small, tired sounding scream. "Breathe." She panted slower than she had a minute before. "Push hard and you're done with the first one," the doctor instructed. Nishi moaned out in response to the pain she had to have been going through.

With that the first of the two children was born. The female, fire half-demon came first with a high pitched bawl. He just stared, shocked out how... just how... He watched the doctor cut the umbilical cord and then handed her over to Nishi, who was openly crying as she held the child they had decided to name Hikari. Crying, yet strong as steel.

When the bonding was finished, Nishi handed off the now calmer Hikari to the awaiting nurse who swaddled her as she stepped away to set her in a hospital infant bed to run her own tests. Hiei watched her actions carefully as she ran checks on Hikari. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched Nishi watch the two of them as well as she wiped her face off with a cool, wet towel Yukina had passed her.

Nishi rested her back and head on the bed, blinking sleepily as she watched the checks. After a brief eight minutes of rest, the doctor was checking her as she said, "Nanashi, time for the second one." Nishi ran her hands through her sweaty hair and then nodded her head. "When the next contraction comes, use it to push," the doctor instructed.

"Ok," Nishi breathed as she nodded a second time.

She reached over to Hiei and grabbed his hand. She then did the same with Yukina's. She was breathing steadily until she gave a sharp inhale before tightening her grip on his hand. She gave a small shout as she tensed up. She panted as she hung her head. She took a steadying breath and pushed again, whimpering as she did so. The boy, the one they had decided to name Izo, was born without hardly any trouble.

Once the boy was sorted, the nurse passed him onto Nishi to hold him like she had with Hikari. Izo was smaller and quieter than Hikari had been. Impressively so. As Nishi held him, he was silent, just breathing deeply and evenly.

When the time came to pass the child to the nurse, Nishi gave him up a little bit unwillingly for the nurse to check him. Yukina handed her a clean wet hand towel to clean off her hands. She did so readily.

After that and a few more checks and procedures, Nishi looked exhausted, totally out of it. When the doctor told her everything was finished, textbook perfect, and she could rest, Nishi turned her head and upper body towards Hiei and clung to him in a surprising turn. She was sobbing into his chest. On desired impulse, he brought his arms around her tightly, one on the back of her head and one on her back, even though her current sweaty and rank state was unpleasant.

She was... perfect. The last eight months, she was perfect... strong, brave, and perfect. She was human, fully human. Bar the old physic, she had to be the strongest full female human alive. Lived in the Demon World with no adjustment issues related to the change of worlds. Relied on him, but had proven she could protect herself and stand on her own if the need arose. Loved him, even if she was cursed to do so. Carried his two children, at the same time, with little issue. She and/or both of them should have injured or at risk sometime during the pregnancy. Being a human, she should have struggled so much more to carry them to term; especially because they had polar opposite temperature alignment. Perfect. Brave. Strong...

"Mine," he breathed. He felt the words to express what he felt, 'I love you,' resting on the tip of his tongue and the front of his mind, but the doctor spoke before he had the chance.

The doctor interupted, "I'm sorry to interupt, but," she rested her hand on Nishi's lower leg. "are you okay?"

Nishi slipped away from him, even though he wanted to stop her from doing so. She brought her back to rest on the back of the bed, calmer now, hands rubbing her eyes gently. She nodded slowly down at the doctor.

"Pain or tired?" the doctor asked her, looking a mix of curious and concern.

"Tired," Nishi murmured, swallowing thickly.

The doctor straightened up and smiled at her confidently. "Textbook perfect," she told her. "Just like we expected." Waving her hand over at the nurse standing off to the side. The nurse seemed to understand as she grabbed a blanket sitting on the shelf by her. She handed it to the doctor who threw it delicately over Nishi's laying form. She pulled the blanket up closer around her comfortably. She turned towards Hiei once more, less emotionally this time, and reach over and grabbed his hand. She dozed off with her hand going slack as she took the instructed moment of rest.

Without really caring about the nurse, doctor, or Yukina still in the room, he bent down and kissed Nishi's dozing self before running his hand through her hair. She was unresponsive as she enjoyed the rest she more than earned.

Hiei straightened up, glancing over at Yukina as she spoke, "come on. The others will want to hear the good news." She gave him a knowing smile.


	75. Chapter 75

So late it was early. And not a soul in the library; with the current head librarian having gone to bed over an hour ago. Mukuro had the whole staff working overtime, bogged down with four times the work since the lot of them had returned from the Human World. Half of what she put on her guard running border patrols and auditing the borders before a skirmish could have out. There had been no time before the last sleep to even consider this research before now.

Hiei rubbed his tired eyes and then tried to blink away the blurriness. Lack of sleep was catching up with him almost as much as it had with Nishi in the past three weeks. Yet he had put off this research he wanted to find out about long enough.

The first book in front of him covered transformations. Humans could be converted into demons with a complete replacement of the heart and lungs with a demon set, but the transformation would make the soul denser. An increased soul density would make soul wave length dip deeper; thus alternating its wave height. The best option was out.

The second book dealt soul transference into another body, which would not alter soul wave length, but would completely mess up an existing matehood. New body, new blood, but incompatibility for mates. The bites would be gone, but the bond would still remain. Any attempt to continue actions through matehood could make one's body treat intimacy as cheating. Celibacy or death. That option was nixed.

The third book delved into deep, dark, and wild magic. Magic that had to be done by a dark crone, something that would be difficult to find in the Demon World. Manageable, but would take a considerable amount of time. The dark crone could preform the transference of life spans, which would increase the lifespan of the receiver, but decrease the lifespan of the giver. Neither body would be affected, but gave a tiny risk to one soul being affected; the giver could lose part of theirs.

This required black magic that would require sacrifices from the giver and trusting a dark crone to complete the procedure. Both would have to be unconscious while the dark crone worked, at her mercy do whatever she wanted; especially if she would rather harvest the unconscious instead of preform the transference. It was unsettling to even consider it. Yet this third option, last option find-able was the best, but undesirably the worst, but only doable option.

He closed the book in front of him irritably and slumped his head down on the closed book. He had struggled to comprehend the first two of the six pages alone on the information piece beneath him. Sleep deprivation had him in a brain fog. His thoughts wondered as he thought.

The lifespan transference, slang named the mate gift since mate almost exclusively did it... Mukuro would not let it happen here... The twins could be sent to the Human World... but the mate gift would have to happen in the Demon World... Dark crones needed to be in the Demon World to work their magic... This couldn't be done in the wild though... A human in front of a dark crone could easily be killed and harvested with both of them were unconscious... Someone trustworthy needed to be nearby in case something happens... He could go to the Hayato territory and have the mate nearby... Even having the large demon nearby would be safer... Mukuro or the stranger could not be trusted with an unconscious Nishi...

He sensed someone nearby, shocking him awake with a spike of adrenaline. He was up quickly on his feet, toppling the chair over behind him in response. His hand was on his sword's hilt before his brain even caught up that person scowling before him was Mukuro. He straightened up, hesitant to remove his hand from his side. The book in front of him was labeled 'Black Arts.' Mukuro stepped over and picked up the book in front of him before he could even think to stop her.

As she slowly began to flip to the table of contents, she commented tensely, "you should be sleeping. Not doing your mate's work on top of your own." He calmly set his face neutrally as he reached carefully over to the other two books on the desk in front of him; less Mukuro saw them as well. "What kind of black magic was she thinking of researching?" she asked him point blank.

He turned to her as he held the two other books at his side. "None," he slipped out as he simultaneously guarded his mind. "Nishi asked for it. It will help her with her translation work-"

"Liar!" she snapped as she slammed the book down on her side of the desk in front of her. She had it open right to the page he had last been reading, the second page of the six page section on dark crones and mate gifts. "Or fool." She looked down at the book in front of her, skimming its contents; face growing darker and darker as her eyes went back and forth. "Either you are a fool that she would send you for this book and claim she wanted it for the work she is too lazy to keep up with, or you're the liar." He felt his muscles twitch and tense up on pace with his short temper at the sounds of her insulting Nishi. "If she sent you for this book, she means to steal part of your lifespan." She took a steadying breath before she continued. "Or you're a liar because you plan on giving up part of your lifespan yourself." A heavy pause settled on the room, fanning the flame of his own temper rising due to exhaustion and irritability. "So which are you?" she asked him through her teeth. "A fool or a liar?" The look on her face said she was just as cross.

"I can do as I please," he responded vaguely.

She reached over to the book in front of her. "She is not worth it," she hissed at him. She tore the first page about the dark crones out much to his shock and internal panic. "You were cursed." The next page was ripped out. "She is the manifestation of that curse." Another page gone. "A weak and pathetic one at that." A fourth page gone. Tempers rising. "I can't escape from Yasha's curses, but you could have escaped from Minha's." Fifth one removed. "And your foolish enough to give into it when you could have escaped." The sixth and last page was ripped out.

"Don't," he pleaded as she gathered up the pages together. If those pages were destroyed, he would have no idea how to find a dark crone or anything else he would need for the mate gift.

"How she feels is not real," she tore the pages in half.

"Stop," he said in shock.

She tore the pages in quarters. "Even if she wasn't cursed, she's human." Eighths. "She's not strong enough for you anyway." Sixteenths.

"Don't," he breathed out in disbelief as he watched her crumble up the papers into a messy ball, a few torn pages fluttering out of her hands. He needed ever single one of those shreds if he wanted to find a dark crone and to carry out the mate gift process.

He rushed over to where the few shreds had fallen to the ground, dropping the other two useless books he had had in hand to the ground without caring. She threw the paper down on the ground, gathered up a red crackle of energy in her hand, and sent it down to the papers; turning the remaining shreds into slim slips of paper. He picked up a few of the slips, hopelessly being unable to read even a simple word from them. He brought a small handful of the slips up to his chest in a tight fist.

"In fifty years or so when she's dead and you're finally free from your curse, you'll thank me. Too bad that curse incarnate was irresponsible enough to miss the one cup of tea that lead to you breeding with her," she scythed down at him.

His tempered flared as his vision went red around the edges. "I can understand now why Nishi hates you so much," he spat at her. Reason alone kept him from outright attacking her; feeling unsure what the outcome would be. Even if he did win the physical altercation, he would not be able to bring himself to kill her. Alive, she could retaliate by targeting Nishi or one or both of the twins. He could not risk it. He rose to his feet, muscles and energy quaking beneath his skin. He kept his fist clenched tightly on the slips of paper in his hand.

"She's a curse you could have been free from. She's weak and-"

"No she's not," he interrupted, struggling to keep himself under control. "Curse or no curse, she's not weak. She is strong," he ended confidently. He felt a wave of dismay wash over him when he shifted his feet, causing the slips of paper to rustle. The sound was a sickening reminder. He had only skimmed the first two pages, so he had no idea how he could find a dark crone now. No dark crone, no mate gift.

"Would she really love you if it was of her own free will? Or would she be with the wind mage you once stole her away from?" Her questions were low blows. "At least those are two questions that have been plaguing your conscience recently," she added knowingly. "She's nothing more than a curse personified that you refuse to escape."

He thought aloud his own personal realizations, "none of that matters anymore;" not caring if she was the woman from the mate's curse, or if he had stolen her away from the wind mage, or if he could have escaped from the curse by never being with her in the first place.

"And why not?" she asked testily, clearly not liking his answer.

"Because I love her," he rushed out loudly and confidently. He kicked at the slips of papers at his feet angrily. "And I will find a way to make her live as long as I do," he resolved.

He watched stone faced as she tore and shredded the rest of the book spitefully. She repeated the act with the other two books he had been looking at as well. He watched, being sure to keep his newly forming thoughts and plans guarded and secret from her.

When she finished, she breathed deeply and said, "we're finished here. Go and rest. You'll need all your strength tomorrow for patrolling. I'm sending you to the outskirts. Likely you will have to be gone overnight."

He stood his ground, outlasting her as she left the library first. Exhausted, but having found a second wind thanks to the despairing adrenaline rush he had just experienced, he made his way to his and Nishi's rooms, half guarding his thoughts, half letting them run free in silent and sorrowful rage.

After checking on the twins who were sleeping silently in the sitting room turn nursery by Nishi, he went to their bedroom. Nishi lay on their bed on her side, breathing deeply, frowning even in her sleep. She was certainly exhausted and had appeared to have lost a noticeable amount of weight than he would have liked. Still perfect.

A mix of emotions stirred up within him, making him desire her more than he wished he had with how tired she was and how hard she had been working. Exhausted though he was, the temptation to have her after coming to the realization of his feelings for her, was almost too much to bare. He had bitten it back far too long.

He came up to the bed where she slept, shaking her shoulder and pushing her onto her back. She was shocked into wakefulness as she gasped and then glared at him as he rested himself over top of her. He brought his mouth down to hers, claiming it in the midst of his fury. She gasped as he brought his mouth to her neck, trying to tease her mate bite, but failing to get a rise out of her when he did that. A demoness would have been moaning in pleasure if he did that.

Her hands had moved and pushed on his shoulders, so he took her wrists and pinned them up by her head.

In response, she started struggling to pull her hands away from his, not in response to excitement or pleasure like she had when he had done that previously. His stomach tightened involuntarily. He let her wrists going half unwillingly. The ache he had felt ceased.

She huffed, "Mmmm, Hiei?... What are you doing?"

"It's been three weeks," he whispered to her as he brought his hands under her shirt and petted at her waist, trying to turn her on subtly so he could get what he wanted from her.

Temperamentally, she grabbed his hands and yanked them out from under her shirt. He bit back his own fury at her move. "Yeah?" she said with a scowl. "What' your point?"

Side stepping the use of words, he went for a nonverbal and obvious approach to what he wanted. One that had worked before. Something would certainly help him burn off his rage against Mukuro and calm him down. He brought his hips down to hers, breathing a heavy sigh at how good alone that felt. He could not remember the last time he had slept with her.

She gave off an unsavory wince before she spoke force-ably, "stop that." He froze, trying to blink the red vision from his eyes. "It' only be three weeks. I need six weeks to heal up," she added in a demeaning tone. "Get off."

Before he could even blink she had him shoved off of her to the other side of the bed. She rolled her body away from him without another word.

Struggling to keep his tone in check, he asked harshly, "Why is it six weeks? A demon would heal in two." Six weeks sounded absolutely ridiculous. Especially being that she had had zero complications from her pregnancy and delivery. It sounded only like a flimsy excuse. She would only have to lay down and let him move quickly. She knew that too.

Her temper flared too, annoying him all the more. She turned just her head to him as she bit out, "well, I'm not a demon now am I? I need six weeks before we can sleep together again, so leave me alone. I'm tired." She turned her head away again.

He sat up, resisting the urge to grab her. "Why does it take so long?" he asked in frustration. She would not have to do anything. They had had times where he did all of the work before. All she would have to do is lay there and let him work quickly.

She sat up too and rounded on him. "What? I don't know. Because my doctor said so. Okay?"

She stared him down with fright coloring her face as his vision reddened fully, refusing to believe that she was speaking the truth. She was strong, but not as strong as he was. All he would have to do was overpower her and move as fast as possible as it might upset her...

When his conscience caught up with his thoughts, he froze in horror at the thought of what he had been planning to do to her. A twisting pain knotted up under his waist. "Fine," he hissed out at her as he got off of the bed. He would have much rather taken her, willingly or unwillingly. He left the room in a renewed rage and an unsure mind where to aim it at; Mukuro, Nishi, or himself. Not caring to be silent this time.

He held to his new plan in the back of his mind as he sneaked into the stranger's rooms, taking enough of a pause to look inside the stranger's mind to find where he had hidden what he wanted. Hiei swore under his breath when he found out what he wanted was in the stranger's pants for safe keeping.

He stole into the stranger' bedroom, moving quickly and quietly; making sure to keep his energy level suppressed as he made it to the stranger's bedside, where his pants laid down in a heap in next to the stranger's bed. Other clothes were piled up there as well haphazardly. He noticed casually that the stranger was not alone in his bed. The stranger had another, red headed, male demon in his bed who laid curled away from the stranger. He risked a soft chuckle as he pulled out the coin the mate had once tried to give him. A promise to return to the Hayato clan anytime for any length of time. After witnessing what Mukuro did to that book, after what he wanted to do to Nishi, he would have to see if this was the best place for her and the twins to be safe while he went out to find a dark crone.

He stopped his guarded plan in its tracks. In order for him to go to the clan tonight, he would have to leave Nishi and the twins behind here where he knew it was not safe after what happened between Mukuro and him in the library. He could not take them with him though in case it was not safe. He needed them as safe as they could be while he was away.

He stepped lightly up to the bed, bringing his hands down on the stranger's mouth and shoulder. The stranger started awake. Hiei shook his head and then nodded over at the red headed demon. The red head stirred, but stayed asleep.

"Quiet," Hiei barely whispered down at him. Speaking in a rush, he explained as he half planned as he spoke. "You're going to watch over my mate and children while I am gone. If you don't, if I come back and either one of them is harmed, you will answer to me personally." He pulled his hands away from the stranger's body. "Without giving any orders or commands."

The stranger sat up carefully, so as not to disturb the sleeping red head. "Why? Where are you going?" He waited, but got no answer. "What do I get in return?"

"Ask when I return," he responded, giving no hints to him what his plans were.

He left the stranger's room and was out of the castle and into the night before the stranger even had time to fall back asleep. It had taken Mukuro's bug stead about twenty-four hours to reach the Hayate clan when he and the stranger went there the last time. If he ran hard enough and long enough, he could make it there in twenty-eight, but would have to deal with the exhaustion when it would hit him.

He went through his new found plan over and over in his mind know that he was too far away from Mukuro for her to see what it was in his mind. Get to the clan's territory. Get the mate to agree to take in Nishi and the twins for safe keeping. Get the three of them there before Mukuro could stop him. Go out and find a book or something else that would help him track down a dark crone. Find a dark crone. Get the dark crone to preform the mate gift at the Hayate territory. It could work. This could work. It had to work.

He stopped short, spotting a canyon off to his left and down below. He paused and studied it and the ground that led it off and to almost immediately in front of him. If he jumped it, it could save him precious hours that he would need to get to the Hayate clan. He back tracked a few yards and then went for the leap. He misjudged the leap, jumping a little too late. He did not make it to the edge on the other side, but lucked into grabbing an exposed root fifty feet below the edge. That rough landing momentarily knocked the wind out of him. Struggling more than he would have had he been properly rested, he pulled himself up and over the edge inch by inch. Once he made it, he collapsed on his stomach panting as his limbs shook with exhaustion. He needed to get up and keep moving...

He jumped awake as he felt the sun shining down on his face. He swore, frightened that he had slept longer than a few hours. The time that he had bought himself was lost and then some from this jump when he passed out.

He was up and ran as fast as he could, not letting himself stop for anything this time. He made it within twenty hours, trying not to think about how much faster he would have been had he not passed out. Grey dawn was slowly spreading across the horizon.

At the gate, he was greeted by the demoness for the second time, much to his displeasure. He held up the coin without a word. She scowled at him as she let him in without a challenge. He enjoyed her annoyance at the sight of her face. He walked straight through, making his way up to the palace where the mate and the large demon lived.

He went to the front door with the fierce hawk, stepping through the front entrance. He saw the beauty on guard, knives out at the sight and sound of him. He saw a tray of food she had been carrying on the floor with the food and broken dishes all over the floor.

Before she straightened up, she asked in a melodious voice, "you came back." She stood taller, sliding her knives back into their sheathes. She bent over and began to clean up the mess of the meal. He stepped over and assists her at cleaning up. She stopped his hand with her own. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Minha," he said in explanation.

"Well, she just woke up, and will be upset that her breakfast is delayed now."

Another female demon who happened by with a large basket of linen in hand stopped in her tracks, set the basket down and rushed over to help the beauty.

Once most of the mess was cleaned up by the two and on the tray, the beauty instructed, "do see that her ladyship's breakfast is remade please. And sent back up to her as soon as possible."

"Yes ma'am," the new demon answered politely as she picked up the tray and made her exit.

"This way please," the beauty sang down to him, nodded her way up to the main staircase.

He fell in step behind her, taking the time to observe his surroundings carefully, should the need arise for him to know where he was going by himself. The gaudiness of the palace was remarkable. The beauty stopped short before a large door and knocked on the door to the room before entering the room. At a small table sat the mate, writing quickly as her pen danced across the paper beneath it. She looked up at the sight of the two of them entering the room. She stood up in a rush, setting her pen down when she locked eyes on Hiei.

"You came back," she breathed. She moved forward to him in a rush, but he held his hand out to stop her before she hugged him. "What... why... why did you come back?" she asked in disbelief.

He went to explain, but stopped as the servant came in with the mate's remade breakfast tray. The beauty took it from her with a dismissive nod. The servant demoness left as the beauty took the tray, carefully cleared a spot up on the table the mate had been working at, and set the tray down.

Hiei turned to the beauty, saying, "leave." The beauty frowned at his rudeness.

"You may go Ayane, thank you. I will be safe," the mate said, more politely dismissing the beauty.

Once the beauty left, humming under her breath, Hiei explained succinctly. "I want to bring my mate here. And our children. For their safety."

The mate blinked up at him, mouth agape at his bold bluntness. "Our last letter from Yasha said she was still pregnant. She must have had them early," she thought out loud. "How long? Permanently? What's wrong with Mukuro's castle?"

His nose twitched at the mention of Mukuro's name. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "Possibly permanently. And I don't want them there anymore."

"I..." the mate stuttered. She glanced over at the door to the right and behind her. Both could hear the sounds behind the door of someone waking up. "I won't say no, but..."

The large demon came through the door behind and to the right of them. His hair was down and unkempt and he had no shirt on. He blinked curiously at the sight of Hiei standing with the mate. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a sleepy voice.

The mate turned to him and explained, "he wants to bring his mate and children here."

"How soon?" the large demon asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

The mate turned back to look at Hiei. "As soon as possible," he explained.

The large demon asked, "why?" as he ran his finger through his long and tangled hair.

Hiei did not like the sound of a question. Brought back memories of when he was questioned by the large demon when he was once seen as a threat. The mate explained for him a second time, "sounds to me like he doesn't trust Mukuro with them anymore."

Hiei bit his tongue, not liking the questioning. "How soon can I bring them?"

The large demon looked down at the mate, deferring to her. "He's allowed here on your leave," he nodded down to her.

The mate gave a thoughtful smirk. "What do we get out of it?" she asked curiously. It was unexpected.

"Two more fighters," he responded. "Myself and her."

"What else?" she asked boldly.

He looked at disbelievingly. "What else could you possibly want?"

"If they come here, I want the perks that Mukuro was given by the king for housing a human on her territory and castle. Tax breaks, better trade deals, and more sway with the current king. And independence from Alaric. To become our own independent territory once more."

All of that amounted to a tall order. "I can't get you any of that," he replied honestly.

"Your mate can," she replied confidently. "She holds sway over her cousin who rules Tourin. The cousin holds sway over the king. She and your children can come here and stay here on the promise that she will do that. If she refuses or fails, then you all will have to leave."

He looked at her disbelievingly. It was a decision for Nishi to make, not himself. His stomach twisted at the thought of her, the reminder that he nearly forced himself on her. He thought fast, thinking that if Nishi refused or thought and failed, she would just need to delay the mate long enough for him to find a dark crone and for them to go through the mate gift process. Where they would go after that if Nishi failed was anyone's guess.

"Agreed," he said reluctantly. "So long as you do not bless her or our children."

She looked at him with a sour face. "Agreed," she said with a huffy pout.

The large demon stepped into the conversation. "You're forgetting something my love." She looked back at him curiously. "Any outsider who comes here and can fight and be questioned to prove their worth and that they can be trusted."

"No," Hiei responded, not liking the sound of her being questioned. "Fight yes, but you will not question her."

The large demon furrowed his brow. "You survived both, and as seemingly a threat both times. You would have defeated Aiko had I not intervened. You proved you were not a threat after I questioned you."

"You broke my mind." He shook his head. "I will not let you do that to her."

"My mate healed you completely as she is so talented. As for the way you were questioned, she will not be tied to a chair and questioned roughly," the large demon explained.

The mate stepped in. "You can warn her ahead of time about the questioning and be with her when she is questioned. If you don't like a question he asks her, you can speak and interrupt before she struggles to answer for herself."

He struggled to debate over what they were asking for. Nishi would have to sway the detective to sway the king and would have to be questioned by the large demon, whom no one could lie to. She could fight and hold her own though, that much was certain. He could imagine that Nishi would agree with all of this if it meant getting to leave Mukuro's castle. "Agreed," he told the two of them reluctantly.

The large demon clapped his hands with a snap, signalling an end to their conversation. "Now, I imagine we need to go fetch your mate and children as soon as possible. Give me ten minutes, and I'll have us down in the stables."

"Stables?" Hiei asked, confused at where the conversation just turned.

"If we're going to get your mate and children out from under that monster's nose as I suspect, tell me what would be faster than a pack of hippogriffs and the best trainer of them we've had in years going after them with you. We can be reach Mukuro's castle in nineteen hours as the rate those beasts can run and fly."

Both the mate and the large demon appeared rather excited about this newly formed mission as they would be part of extracting Nishi and the twins from Mukuro, someone they would enjoy spiting; and they would also gain a valuable ally they believed would free them from Mukuro's claim on their territory.

They were the best option he had at the moment. Once Nishi and the twins were brought and settled here, then he could turn his sights on finding a dark crone and getting his ultimate goal, preforming the mate gift, completed.


	76. Chapter 76

The three creatures who stood before Hiei in front of stables were impressive to say the least. Tall as the large demon. Hippogriffs. Demonic animals that looked so much like a cross between an eagle and a horse, that ancient humans, who existed before the worlds were separated, named them after eagles and horses. The closest one was all black, from talons and hooves to beak. He was also the most ill tempered one, trying to peak Hiei when he got too close. The stable master planned to ride that one on the way back. The next one beige with a white stripe of feathers down its back. This one was calmer and was the one Hiei was intended to ride. Apparently she was one of the most docile in the stables. The last one, which would be Nishi's mount when they returned, was brown with a few spots and streaks of white pepper through its coat. The stable master planned to ride this one on the way there and the black mount on the way back. The twins would be tied up to the front of Hiei's and Nishi's mounts.

The three of them were saddled up and ready for the mad dash planned to Mukuro's castle to extract Nishi and the twins and bring them back to the Hayato territory. Once completed, an older woman from the tribe, the healer who had trained Minha, had concocted an herbal potion that would keep the twins asleep during their flight.

The large demon was busy briefing the stable master once more on the mission. "...and Haneul," the large demon said, wrapping up. "Be sure no one catches you. I don't have to tell you how rare hippogriffs are." He gave the slimmer demon a confident pat on the back.

"Yes sir," the stable master responded with a curt, but polite nod as he was busy adjusting the reins on Hiei's mount. He turned towards Hiei and nodded. "Right, sir," he said, beckoning Hiei over.

Hiei stepped over as the stable master bent down intersected his fingers, and held them out in front of him.

Hiei stepped over to him and brought his left foot down on the stable master's hands while he gripped at the saddle of his mount. With the aid of the stable master, Hiei was able to haul himself up and over the back of the hippogriff with little bother. The peaceful creature did not even move or gripe when he did so. The height of the creature up on its back was almost dizzying.

The stable hand stepped over to the large demon. "Do you mind sir?" he asked as he nodded over to the mostly brown hippogriff.

The large demon helped him up onto the brown mount, but the black mount next to it was fidgety. Had been ever since they loaded him up with supplies. Once the stable master was mounted, the large demon stepped to close to the black mount. The black mount turned towards the large demon, hissed at him, and then nudged him away like he was a nuisance. The large demon tried to play it off and give the black mount a pat on the beak. The black mount reared back then head butted the large demon, knocking him nearly to the ground. The black mount hissed at him once more before turning to stand by the stable master on the brown mount.

"Seems like not everyone wants to listen to you so readily my lord," the stable master said with a smirk. "Midnight's trust has to be earned. When it is, he's the best mount you'll find in my stable." The stable master kept smirking, even as the large demon's face darkened. "Farewell," he said, pulling up the reins of the brown mount beneath him.

He gave two clicks with his tongue, which got his mount moving at a steady trot. The black mount followed behind close to their side. Hiei's mount followed suit. They stayed at the trot until they were passed the walls. Once free from the wall, the hippogriffs broke out into a crazed run followed by a leap into the air where they took off flying.

The beasts flew quick and steady as the hours passed. It was exhausting, but after the hours passed, they managed to see the castle up ahead, visible in the afternoon light. The stable master clicked his tongue thrice, and all three mounts dove for the ground at a sharp angle. They landed on the ground and took to running at a swift pace.

The stable master shouted to him over the sounds of hooves and talons on the ground. "We'll approach from the ground. At the sight of a flying hippogriff, Mukuro may be put on high alert, which will make this extraction of your mate and kids thousands of times harder. We go until the tree line. Then you need to go in and get them and bring them back to us as fast and as quietly as possible."

As the tree lines began to thin, Hiei suddenly felt a sharp pain start from his gut and soon it radiated through his body from the epicenter. He shouted incoherently at the pain as it intensified. The mount he rode was spooked by him, causing her to rear up and shake him. He fell from the creature, rolling to a stop after he hit the ground. He laid curled up on the ground hands wrapped around his waist.

He heard the stable master shout for him. Not long after, he ran over to him, shaking him and asking him frantically what was wrong, but he could not answer, could hardly think beyond the pain twisting in his center.

At the sound of a hiss, he felt something come down around the back of his cloak and lift him up by it and run. He heard the stable master shout something about... midnight... The running continued, causing the pain to decrease ever so slightly. He was set down on the cold stone steps. The pain dissipated enough for him to rise up on his hands and knees. He looked behind him and saw the black mount prancing around and screeching deafeningly. Shaking, he rose to his feet, but a twist of pain ripped through him, forcing him to double over and collapse to the ground. Laying there was less painful, but just barely.

He heard some come over to him, shouting his name and swearing. At a glance, he saw it was the stranger crouched down beside him. "What did you do? Where did you go?" Quieter he added, "how the hell did you get a hippogriff?" When Hiei did not respond, the stranger swore. "If someone captures this creature, my people..."

He rose up and charged at the creature, shouting at it to get away from him before it killed him. The creature looked spooked and screeched back at the stranger. He picked up rocks from the ground and hurled them at the hippogriff. The hippogriff looked wounded as it turned and sprinted away from them.

The stranger returned to him, picked his upper body up from under his shoulder and brought him over his shoulder. "I think I know what's wrong with you," he told him as he moved swiftly.

The stranger moved forward, took a sharp turn, and then was descending a staircase. The lower they went, the more the pain faded. The stranger stopped in the basement, right next to one of the portals to the Human World Mukuro was given on her territory. According to the stranger, the portals had been given to her as a sort of reward from the king for housing a human... The next closest one was about a mile away and was the one Mukuro allowed Nishi to use when she had to go to the Human World. Petty.

The stranger sat him down right next to portal and the pain faded down to just a hint of its existence. Hiei felt a wave of exhaustion roll over him.

"Well, thank goodness I don't have to throw you into the portal to get the pain to stop. But don't pass out now," the stranger said, shaking him. He swore under his breath. "If you do, guard your mind so she can't find out where you were or what you were doing." He sighed heavily as Hiei pushed himself up to his knees. "You should have at least told your mate you were coming back."

"What happened?" he wheezed out, the hint of the pain grew more noticeable.

The stranger sighed and ran his gloved hands through his hair. "She went to Mukuro and demanded to know where you were. She attacked Mukuro. Mukuro took her down and sent her back to the Human World."

"What?" he breathed disbelieving. He rose up to his feet, wanting to track down Nishi immediately. Pain rolled through his center with a tidal wave of exhaustion afterwards...

Hiei woke up with the still noticeable pain in his center. He still lay down next to the portal where the stranger had set him. A blanket laid over top of him and another one underneath him. A pillow lay under his head as well. A glass of water and a small, stale loaf of bread lay by his head. The stranger sat slouched against the wall, asleep himself with no blanket or pillow in sight for himself. He jumped awake when Hiei barely moved.

"You must have been nearly as exhausted as your mate has been," the stranger said with a sarcastic tone. "So where's the pain? Another thing she can be pissed off over when she finds out about it."

Hiei sat up, bringing a hand to the bottom of his rib cage without thinking about it. "Where is she?" he asked, dodging the question verbally.

"Which one?" the stranger added with a hint of a tease.

He deliberated for a moment in his mind. "Mukuro."

"Mentally unstable up her room. Extra irritated that I chased away the hippogrif that carried you up to the steps and then kept screaming. Not a sound I thought I would hear again in my life," he added longingly.

Hiei rose up to his feet, ignoring what was now a dull, but noticeable ache under his ribs. "It won't take long," he sheathed, wanting to know what happened to Nishi before he went after her. He rose up and walked away from the untouched water and bread.

His temper raised with each step, the dull ache fueling it. Uninhibited, he opened the door to Mukuro's bedroom, leaving it open as he went should she try anything.

Mukuro was curled up in a sitting position and visibly shaking. A small wave of pity splashed up in a sea of anger within him.

He got to her bedside in an instant, "Mukuro? What's wrong?" he asked, playing with caution lest she flew into a rage. He felt too close to her for comfort. Mind on guard.

She gave him a shove away as she spoke, "Your mate. That's what's wrong. That little slut is never allowed back here." Every word dripped with malice.

"What the hell did she do this time?" he asked, not hinting at the fact that the stranger had clued him in vaguely as to what happened.

Before he could reacted, she reached over, pulled him closer, and took his head in her hands, feeling like he was much too close to her. He had not wanted to be this close to her in months. A year ago would have been a dangerous temptation for him. Two years ago, he was all too eager to be so close to her.

Before he could think to pull away, he saw her memories. He saw Nishi storm into her presence chamber, uninvited and unprovoked. Nothing in Mukuro's memories could come up with a reason she would be here unless it had something to do with her missing mate; whose disappearance she knew nothing about. He watched from Mukuro's memory as Nishi screamed a Mukuro about his whereabouts; of which he had not told her less Mukuro knew where he had gone and what he might have been planning. He watched her shout about how she had chosen her mate. He could not imagine she would actually do that, but it was Mukuro's real memory.

The memory got worse as he watched Nishi try attack Mukuro, Mukuro take her by the throat, throw her down, and kick her savagely.

Hiei pulled himself away from Mukuro and her distasteful memory. Both Nishi and Mukuro had crossed a line against each other. Nishi's attack against her and Mukuro's retaliation were last straws for both of them with him, as far as he was concerned for him. The pain under his ribs faded away until the pain had just a hint of its existence. He decided to end it with this woman first.

"You kicked her while she was down," he began seething."

"She brought up my matehood," she replied.

"Where is she? Where are the twins?" Once he was free from her, he could go after Nishi and end it there too.

"I don't know and I don't care."

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a badge she had given him forever ago, one he carried around out of habit. A symbol for her that he was loyal to her. He threw it down beside her. "I can't take this anymore. I'm gone a short time and the two of you try to kill each other." She looked up at him lividly. "Find yourself a new right hand. I quit."

One down, one to go.


	77. Chapter 77

Hiei put off seeing Nishi for days after making it to the Human World, not wanting to go to the old psychic's temple to her. Yukina was there, having been living with the old psychic for some time now, and would inevitably be drawn into this conflict. He did not wish for her to be part of this, especially since she would be drawn to Nishi's side afterwards when it was her in the wrong in her conflict with Mukuro.

There was also an internal debate about what to do about the twins, who were just as innocent in this matter. He could not take both as that it would be difficult care for both if he went nomadic in the Demon World, but could be taken in if he went back to the Hayato Territory. He was still unsure which one he would prefer to do. Taking one of them would be better, easier to manage. The boy maybe, seeing as how the girl looked so much like Nishi with her black hair. She would be too memorable. The boy looked like Yukina's child more than his own, showing his ice demon heritage from his ice blue hair and his ice element serpent that was blend from himself and Nishi's own abilities. Pulling him away from Yukina before she could figure out the connection between the two of them was preferable... On the other hand, separating the boy from the girl would possibly make life more difficult later on as he grew up; which may lead him to hunt down the girl one day, leading back to Nishi. He did not want to be drawn into that years down the line... If this break from Nishi was going to happen, he needed to make sure it was permanent for all their sakes. He would not be able to take either one of them with him. Nishi would have to keep them both, which was unfair.

At least when he was in the Human World, there was no annoying pain in his stomach or anywhere else that hinted that he was much too far away from her. It was good to know that all he would needed to do was be in the same world as her if the pain got too insufferable in the Demon World.

Once he crossed onto the old psychic's land and was in earshot of the temple, it did not take long for Nishi to sense him out and find him. Once he stepped within sight of the temple, she was there. She looked haggard and much too slim in comparison to what she was before she was pregnant.

She had run over to him and then skidded to a halt, face going from hopeful to enraged in half a second. She looked the same as she had in Mukuro's memory where she went and shouted at her and tried to fight her without true provocation. If she had just bent the knee to Mukuro when she had moved to the Demon World, she would at least be the nobler of the two women. Instead she fought and was insolent up to that last meeting between the two of them. He blinked the red hint in his eyes away.

"Where have you been?" she asked in a stony whisper. "Where were you?" she asked temperamentally. Her voice carried the same tone it had when she refused him last he saw her. He tried not to think about that moment. "Well?" The same sharp tone she used on Mukuro. She was shaking and looked just like she had when she stood before Mukuro last. "You just left in the middle of the night without telling me!" Her temper was too quick. All she had to do was wait not even one more hour and they could have been having a very different conversation. "Where were you?!" Every word was reminder of what she did to Mukuro.

He kept himself calm as he gave one of the reasons he had left that would keep her from attacking him like with Mukuro. A fight was the last thing he wanted between the two of them. "I didn't want to hurt you." He spoke plainly, hiding his own temper as she unveiled hers.

"What?!" Her temper was boiling rather than tempering out. "And disappearing wouldn't hurt me?"

He kept his temper out of his words, but the meaning plain, "not as much as you hurt Mukuro."

She looked at him incredulously. "I never laid a hand on her!"

"You tried," he responded, letting her know he knew what she did.

"So what?" She was being unbelievable. "I hate her!" Distasteful. "She tried to kill me!"

He corrected her misleading words. "She never tried to kill you. Beat you, yes. Threaten you, but never kill you."

"You weren't there!" she countered.

"Mukuro showed me," he informed her.

She looked beyond furious with him at that statement. "You went to her instead of me? I'm your wife!"

Distasteful, rude, disrespectful, and unbelievable. Childish. Made this all the easier. "And she's my liege lord. I'm not taking sides on this." He held his temper back while his words next were biting, clean cut, and final. "Catty complaints about the other. I'm done with both of you." The cleaner the breaks, the faster the recoveries.

Her face went from furious to distraught in the blink of an eye. She breathed one questioning sounding word. She sunk down to her knees before him and shook her head in disbelief. "No..."

The quicker, cleaner, and final this was, the better. "I'm done." His stomach gave a pained twist as he continued. "I won't put up with you two anymore. You both went too far. You brought up her matehood." She hardly knew the half of that statement, about how if Mukuro could have, she would have mated him knowing now about her fake mate claim memories. "She beat you. I can't stand either one of you anymore."

She shook his head. "No... please no..." She was barely holding back tears. She began rattling of words, "The children, you can't leave them. You're their father... They need you, I need you..."

"They're better off without me anyway." He broke it down to no hope to keep the break clean, focusing on that and nothing else.

"I'll do anything," she begged. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Too late for that...

He kept speaking, try to get to the end of this conversation swiftly. "I stopped Mukuro from burning all your stuff. What's left will be sent here later on. The twins' stuff is fine. That will be sent over too."

"Please don't go," she begged.

"Don't follow me," he instructed her, focusing on wanting to make this as clean as possible. It would only get messier if she chased after him. He turned around and walked away slowly.

He heard her shout after him, but gave no sound of pursuit. The nearest portal was an easy jaunt to get to. Once going through it, the pain under his ribs was evident, but much more manageable than it had been before.


	78. Chapter 78

Yasha met privately with Mukuro in her presence chamber. Now that things had calmed down after the removal of the human and then Hiei's abrupt departure soon after, Mukuro had mentally recovered and was at the ready to discuss and plan out the border skirmishes happening in territories she had previously claimed around the same she claimed the Hayato territory. Kirin had been sent to the library to retrieve maps and other data that would prove useful to her.

Then an ill timed visitor appeared. A messenger whose name Yasha could not quite remember came barring a letter for Mukuro sent from Demon King Enki. Mukuro took the letter from the demon without much concern and opened it as the messenger waited for Mukuro' instructions or if she should need a new letter to be written in response.

Mukuro went from relatively calm and composed to tense and melancholy all over again in an instant. She sat the letter down in front of her and stayed still. From his position sitting nearby her, Yasha was able to see enough of the letter to skim most of it. It announced the death of her emissary to the king, Manabu, the elderly librarian she had sent there with a personal assistant to aid him in his work. The assistant was asking what she should do now that Manabu had passed.

"Yasha," she addressed him quietly, breaking the tension. "Fetch me something to write with from the storage closet behind you please."

"At once my lord," he said, rising up and going to the closet behind him as she bid. He intentionally left the door open should she call for him or he needed to call out to her.

As he dug through the supplies, he half chastised himself for letting it be so disorganized in here that finding the paper he knew she would prefer to write on was practically a nightmare.

As he searched, a truer nightmare seemed to start. He jumped with a start as he heard the supply closet's door slam shut behind him. He turned around and went straight to it to open it. The knob stuck fast and he could not pull it open. He banged on the door and shouted for Mukuro with no response on her end. This was an odd thing for her to do seeing as how he had order her to never harm him. He knelt down and looked through the small key hole of the door. He saw the messenger demon still in front of her, her standing near her chair, but his chair was missing. He figured she must have wedged it under the door knob so he could not escape.

"Open this door," he hissed at her furiously. "Muku-" he stopped as this nightmarish scenario deepened. He sensed the a noticeable power moving through the castle, heading straight for them. He wanted to deny who it could be, but not many humans could feel that strong. Or apparently this foolish.

And then the stupid human knocked. Silence. Another louder, more forceful knock followed soon after.

"Answer it," Mukuro whispered to the messenger demon.

The demon shifted uncomfortably and then did as she was bid. From his small keyhole view, he saw the human, confirmed to be Nanashi, shove another demon in front of her. She held onto her hostage demon one side of her with her wind dragon attached to him, and had a short sword on the neck of the messenger demon on her other side.

"Shut the door and lock it," she ordered the messenger.

After the messenger did as bid, Mukuro stepped towards the bold human, clapping slowly and stepping part way into his view of the scene from this key hole. As she did that, Yasha heard a body drop. His heart skipped a beat until Mukuro moved out of his line of sight and saw the messenger demon dropped to the ground with a ruby red stream flowing from the front of his neck. Nanashi still had her hostage attached to her via her element dragon, but in the tense still, the hostage convulsed and was released by her. Yasha watched as the convulsing hostage quickly went still. The stupid human just murdered two of Mukuro's men in front of her, not to mention having come back after Mukuro threw her out and threatened to kill her. This human had a death wish.

Then Nanashi did something unexpected and even more foolish. She turned and faced Mukuro and threw her bloodied short sword in between the two women and knelt down before Mukuro on one knee and bowed her head towards the ground. Something she should have done over a year ago.

"Mukuro," Nanashi grumbled up at the woman. "I pledge my loyalty to you."

Yasha made note of the fact that Nanashi stayed down but began to tremble as Mukuro stepped up in front of her.

"Don't kill her," Yasha mumbled under his breath, wishing he could give her the order, but had no chance to do so. He hated giving her orders beyond his and his clans own safety.

Mukuro stopped in front of the kneeling Nanashi. Nanashi flinched, but did not move otherwise.

"You do realize I can hear your conversation right?" Mukuro asked down at her. Yasha puzzled over her meaning. Perhaps the human was communicating with her element dragon that harbored in her soul. "As for this sword," she said as she stomped down on the sword, snapping the blade from the hilt with a loud, metallic crack. "It wasn't yours. It belong to one of my men. One of the ones you killed. Just because you stole the sword, doesn't make it yours." The kneeler stayed down and stayed silent. Mukuro continued, intrigue trickling into her voice, "why not throw your snake down? Or did you steal that too?"

Wordlessly, Nanashi summoned up the small, white-gray dragon like creature from her neck. It twisted around at first, but finally went calm as she laid down on the ground, just out of Yasha's line of sight.

'Don't kill her,' he thought, hoping Mukuro would hear him mentally.

Mukuro's left leg shifted forward for a few seconds and then went back to rest next to her right leg. "Corporeal form?" she noted questioningly. "Interesting. From the way he looks, he's like an apparition. Take him back to your neck." Nanashi obeyed without a word or any movement on her part. Yasha began to hope that if Nanashi could survive long enough to stand up in Mukuro's presence, that Mukuro would decide not to kill her. Yet that did not stop Mukuro from scolding her in this moment as she began to pace around her in a small circle. "So selfish motives brought you here eh? You're lonely and want your husband back?" The word 'husband' sounded like a vile term in her speech. Put your precious little family back together? Do you really love him or do you just want him to think you do? What would he think about you coming back here, on your knee and swearing loyalty to me?" Nanashi was surprisingly smart enough not to be goaded into answering those questions. Yasha hated it when Mukuro toyed with people like that for her own amusement. Mukuro continued, "he never did that you know."

'Because you couldn't convince him to do it,' Yasha thought to himself. 'Because he told you if he had to prove his loyalty like that, then you would never earn it.'

"He refused. But then again, he's way smarter than you'll ever be." Goading still was not working. "Do you really want me to kill you? It's so tempting."

The kneeling human finally cracked under the goading. "No. I came for your help," she hissed tightly threw her teeth.

Mukuro's mouth twitched into a smirk that Yasha could see from his position, but Nanashi could not see with her eyes trained to the floor. "Help get your husband back?" Mukuro half purred in a voice that hinted she was planning to something she was bound to enjoy.

'Don't kill her,' Yasha pleaded silently.

"Yes," Nanashi responded, sounding slightly desperate.

"Oh, so you indeed are selfish and stupid." Nanashi stayed still and silent in response to those biting remarks. "Hmm..." Mukuro hummed, looking like a cat prancing around a wounded mouse. "To kill you or not to kill you. You killed two more of my men, snuck into my castle, and forced your way into my room again."

Nanashi cracked a second time under the weight of Mukuro's goading. "Either help me or kill me," the human rushed out, fear coloring her voice. "I'd rather die than live without him," she added pitifully.

'Don't kill her. Don't get your blood on her hands.'

Mukuro was enjoying this a little too much for Yasha's taste. "And let your children be motherless? How heartless of you." Nananshi closed her eyes tightly as her breathing began to speed up. "No, I won't kill you." Both Yasha and Nanashi breathed their own sighs of relief at the same time. "I'd just want to see just how strong you are. How much you really love him and your children. I want to see if you can survive like Hiei did."

'Don't do it,' Yasha thought as he felt his heart sink as he figured out her next move before she made it. 'Don't drop her.'

Even as he thought, Mukuro cracked a knuckle on her left hand and then snapped her fingers loudly. Yasha could not see the ground underneath Nanashi, but he could the human look even more frightened than she had been. Her hair fluttered up from a breeze beneath her. "He went six months..."

Yasha shook his head, trying to figure out if he could move fast enough to knock the door down and close the distance between himself and Nanashi before Mukuro dropped her. Hiei and Mukuro had told him never to cross paths with Nanashi. Neither would trust them if they were together. 'Don't do it.'

"...If you can go six days..."

Yasha stood up and backed up as far as he could from the door and charged it.

"...I'll help you find him."

Yasha had managed with one hardy lunge to knock the door down, taking the chair with it. Once free of the room, he froze at the sight of the empty space that once held the stupid human. "What have you done?" he breathed. Mukuro gave a small, laughing hum. "You've killed her..." he said in disbelief. "She surrendered and swore to serve you, so you drop her in your fighting pit? How many demons do you have down their right now?" His mind raced, trying to remember when the last time she dropped someone down there.

"Your mistaken about one thing," she stated, smiling a cruel smile. "Her blood will not be on my hands. She promised to serve me, so therefore I need to test her to see how strong she truly is. I've done that with Kirin before you came here. I've done it with Hiei as well. And a dozen others that didn't manage to survive... A pity.." He hated how happy she was in this moment. "And if she dies within the six day limit, well then, I'll not be the one who killed her." It was unnerving to see how she gleamed with happiness over what she had done.

He peeled off both of his gloves, throwing them down to the ground as he closed the distance between them. She did not even flinch when his hands clasped around her left hand. Just like he ordered her. The order stuck to the roof of his mouth.

"What orders do you want to give me?" she said, standing calming, but her words and eyes betrayed the panic she felt. "I thought you only gave me orders that kept you and your clan safe? Bar making me free them from my territorial claim, seeing as how that's your revenge for your pseudo exile against your brother in law."

He sighed as he dropped his hold on her hand and stepped away from her with a heavy sigh. He stepped away from her and went and retrieved his gloves, slipping them back on his hands just as fast as he took them off. "Free her."

"I will if she survives six days," she said with a cruel grin.

"Now!" he shouted at her. He took a steadying breath spoke quieter. "You can't do this. You're counting on her to die."

She simply shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the table they had been sitting at not even ten minutes before. She lifted up the letter from Manabu's personal assistant as she spoke. "You know for a demon who could simply give orders that would lead him to conquer all three worlds without the touch of his hands, you are rather unambitious. You would rather enjoy a simple, but luxurious enough life style where you can do as you please and fuck a few willing men as you please. And merely sit on the sidelines of the powerful." She cracked the knuckles on her left hand. "You can do anything you ever wanted, yet you feel unsatisfied unless you earn it without taking over someone else's will and control." She set the letter down as she ran her fingers through his hair. "So unless you would like to sit here and try and fail to persuade me to free that human that you have not even met in person, or," she stepped over to him, reached over, and tugged his gloves down more firmly on his hands, "we can head for the king's castle and take care of Manabu's funeral." Her voice caught on his name as she looked down at his hand before releasing it. "Shouldn't take us more than three to four days if we leave now."

"We?" he questioned, not wanting to go with her.

"You think I'd leave you here? The second I left without you, you'd be down in the fighting pit and going after that human. You proved that when you busted down that closet door to save her. You know I don't want you in contact with this human. She'll have you wrapped around her little finger and doing her bidding just like she did with Hiei. Besides, this is opportunity for you to sit on the side lines of greatest without having to give an order to be there. It's what you strive for, isn't?"

And so they went together to the king's castle, coordinated the funeral, and were back in three and a half days, bringing the personal assistant back so she could resume working in the library. Kirin was left in charge and was informed about Nanashi being left in the fighting pit and why. Kirin seemed irked by the idea, but in the three and a half days they were gone, Mukuro watched images from her own holographic orb of the human fighting every second she could get, wishing to see her death real time and getting more and more impatient for it with each and every victory Nanashi won.

When they finally returned to Mukuro's castle, Mukuro sped reviewed all the footage from the past three and a half days, making Yasha watch with her so he would not get the chance to stage a rescue she knew he wanted to do. Her presence chamber began to feel more like a prison.

When the clocked ticked down to day five, Mukuro's short temper made her even more difficult to be around. She left Yasha alone to watch the footage. She sent for Kirin, speaking with him out of Yasha's earshot. When she returned, she seemed giddy, but less impatient.

"What did you do?" he asked her, his own temper short after having to watch the fighting.

"Sent Kirin on a quick mission," she replied. "As the wind blows..."

Kirin returned within twenty hours from the mission she had sent him on. Kirin came right in the room, as Yasha sat in his chair dozing. He jumped awake when her heard Kirin speak.

"I found him, my lord," Kirin informed Mukuro.

Yasha sat up and blinked sleepily over at Kirin, trying to place the tall, red headed demon that stood next to him. He had noticed the holographic images and stared blankly at the sight of Nanashi curled up in a ball with a broken sword blade.

"Perfect," Mukuro said as she stood up to greet the stranger. "Just in time." She turned to Yasha and told him and Kirin, "out. I need to speak with Jin privately."

Yasha stood up, knowing he had never seen the new demon before, but knew the name, but could not place it. It made him uneasy as he racked his brain trying to place the name.

"Who is he?" he asked Kirin in the hallway.

Kirin simply shrugged. "Someone from Nanashi's past. Mukuro's test must be almost over. She only sends for someone from the tested's past as their final test before adding them into to her service." Kirin shifted his feet as he thought. "But why does she want to add Nanashi all of a sudden?"

"I can't say," he muttered in response, wanting to hear what Mukuro was planning.

Kirin excused himself to go back to his research in the library while Yasha waited impatiently outside the presence chamber door. He passed the time in an uneasy sleep. When there was only one hour remaining before the six day timeline was up, Mukuro came out with the red headed demon in tow. Yasha jumped awake as Mukuro left the room with the demon behind her. Yasha watched them walk off, deliberating between what he should do. He stood up and followed them, hoping he would not have to order Mukuro to let him stay with her in front of the demon.

Mukuro stopped and turned her head around to look at Yasha, looking slightly annoyed.

"Whose that?" the demon asked.

"One of my men. If he wants to come and watch this, let him," Mukuro decided.

When they reached the fighting pit, Mukuro stopped at the entrance. "Wait here," she told them as she went forward. "Stay out of sight," she ordered as she looked directly at Yasha. Even now, she was following the order to protect him from harm.

As soon as Mukuro left them alone, Yasha spoke to the scowling stranger before him, "don't kill her." The demon turned around to face him. He started to pull over his left glove, but stopped, feeling unable to do it. The idea of giving this demon an order when he was not personal threat to him made him feel sick to his stomach. "Whatever Mukuro told you, just, just," he could not find the words. "Just let Nanashi live," he pleaded.

The demon turned back around and learned against the doorway without a response.

Yasha turned to watch from behind the demon to the scene before them. Nanashi had rushed over and swung the sword blade at him. Mukuro side stepped her attacker. "Calm down girly," she teased.

"Let me go," Nanashi begged. She looked haggard, frightened, and physically beaten. Yet she was standing and looked ready to continue fight if she had to.

Mukuro crossed her arms across her chest. "But you're doing so well. I started off sending class D demons, but those were too easy for you. I upped it to C, then B, and then A." The human stood before her, looking like she struggled just to stay standing. A strong breeze could probably knock her over. "How will you do against one more demon? An S class demon?"

Amazingly, Nanashi stood up straighter. "One more?" she panted breathlessly. "Fine. Bring them out." Brave, but foolish.

"You asked for it. Jin?" Mukuro called with looking away from the human in front of her. The human's face went white. "Come on out."

"Please..." Yasha breathed as the demon walked into the fighting pit with the two of the women. It was all he could to keep himself from running out after him. He feared that if he went out there now and the human tried to attack him, then Mukuro would kill her to protect him from her. He swallowed thickly and took off his gloves. If he had to, he promised himself that he would interfere and order this demon, this Jin, to stop. He would deal with the repercussions later.

He stood up and watched Nanashi summon up her wind dragon and reached her hand out toward Jin, but failed to keep him from breathing. Jin charged her and started a fight with her. She struggled to keep her guard up as he threw punch after punch at her. The wind dragon disappeared from her neck as she did her best to keep up in the fight.

She tried to back away from the demon to get out of his reach, but failed. He rounded on her and kicked her straight in the chest with a grunt. His kick sent her flying backwards into the nearest wall. Her upper back followed by her head slammed against the wall. A pitiful wail escaped her lips as she struggled to stay on her feet. She reached her shaking hand behind her head and then brought it back in front of her.

"Stay alive," Yasha breathed. "Staying standing," he willed. "Keep fighting."

He watched as Nanashi did more than that. Gritted her teeth as she grudgingly stepped forward towards Jin. Jin moved over to her, closing the distance between them faster than the human could in this fight. She hardly struggled to get away from him as he locked his arms around her neck. Her wind dragon was visible again, biting her opponent, but unable to get free.

He bled on her as he told her loud enough for all of them to hear, "I'd rather kill Hiei, but I'll have to settle for you."

Yasha felt a sinking feeling settle in his stomach at those words. Whatever Hiei had done to this demon, he saw it as worth killing Nanashi over.

Nanashi squirmed, elbowing her opponent in his ribs. "Why do you want to kill my husband?" she asked him.

"He took you from me," the demon hissed out at her.

Yasha punched the wall nearest him as he made the realization that this was the demon who had fallen in love with Nanashi, the one that Hiei did whatever it took to keep him away so he bed her instead, was the one standing ready to kill her. And now they were too entangled together that if he tried to order Jin to let her spare her, he might mess up and ordered Nanashi instead.

Yasha looked over at the scene that was so close, but so far away from him. The demon had his hands twisting her neck. "Don't do this Jin," the human pleaded pitifully.

"Why not? If I can't have you, then I won't let him either."

She squirmed weakly, unable to get away. "You can't kill me. If you kill, Hiei will... will kill your soul mate."

Yasha frowned at her last two words. Soul mate? Sounded like foolish human poetry.

"I don't have a mate. I wanted you, but I can't have you."

"Not a mate, a soul mate. There's a difference."

"I've never heard of a soul mate."

"Well, uh, well, Hiei is my soul mate. How have you never heard of it? A soul mate is who you are destined to fall in love with." Too poetic to be true.

"How do I know that mine isn't you?"

"It's not. It can't be. Because, uh, because, um, you can't have more than one. It's requited." This human was lying through her teeth in a last ditch effort to save herself. It was just as impressive as it was gutsy and stupid.

"Then killing you will hurt him all the more."

She kept lying, sounding more desperate than ever to live. "And then he'll find your soul mate and kill her. He's good at tracking. Think of it, there's a woman out there that you will love more than you ever loved me. If you kill me, then he'll kill her. A soul mate for a soul mate." Jin's face darkened as his grip on her neck tightened. She struggled to speak as loud as she possibly could now. "Would you sacrifice her for a some human you'll forget about the moment you see her?" He froze as he began to twist all the harder. "Don't sacrifice your soul mate for revenge!"

Yasha could not look away, waiting to see Jin twist her neck just a little farther until it snapped. And there was nothing he could do to stop him.

But then Jin just let her go, arms hanging slack at his sides as if her lies had paralyzed him. That demon believed her words and was now conflicted as what to do with her. Unbelievable. Mukuro was right... This human could wrap someone around her finger if she put her mind to it.

Nanashi stepped away from him, turned and attacked him in surprising show of strength, and knocked him out. Yasha not only saw the demon crumple to the ground, but also the blood on the back of her head, matting itself within her hair. She turned back toward Mukuro who stood halfway between himself and the human. Nanashi stared blankly at Mukuro as she began to walk over to her. On her third step, she fell forward gracefully, not even bothering to bring her hands up to brace the impact of hitting the ground.

Yasha took his own three steps forward for a better sight of the scene before it. Nanashi had done it. She survived what Mukuro had thought was her death sentence. Now she would have to keep her word and help Nanashi find Hiei.

Yet as Mukuro step forward towards the unconscious human, her right hand danced and crackled with red, energetic lines. Mukuro was going to kill her anyway. Unless...

Yasha sprinted over to Mukuro, not thinking as he ran over to her and clasped his bare hands around Mukuro's left hand before she could stop him.

He rushed out the order that only she could hear because she was the only other conscious person in the room, "you like her now. She's proven to be strong and a worthy mate to Hiei."

"No!" she screamed as the energy around her right hand disappeared. She pulled her left hand out of his grip as she practically dove forward to close the distance between her and the human. "Don't you dare die!" she shouted her. She checked her breathing and pulse. "He'll never forgive me if you did." She picked up the human and ran out of room with her.

"Mukuro!" Yasha shouted after her, torn between chasing after her or helping the unconscious Jin.

He went to the entrance and picked up his gloves from the ground, putting them back on. Next, he turned around, went over to Jin, and picked him up; struggling to lift the taller and heavier demon. At least helping this demon assuaged the mountain of guilt he felt for what he had just done to Mukuro.


	79. Chapter 79

Mukuro looked up at healing tank that held the human she never expected to like or find strong. It was like looking an unimpressive color and suddenly realizing it was ascetically pleasing. It was annoying that it took an order from Yasha to get her to realize this.

Mukuro looked over the human curiously, taking note of her freckles and scars on her exposed body. The most intriguing were stretch marks across her lower stomach due to her pregnancy. Physically, she was almost completely healed after her ordeal in the fighting pit. Staying conscious after the blow to the back of her head was impressive enough. And continuing to fight afterwards as well. And then talking her way out being murdered.

Yasha had brought the wind demon Jin and took care of healing and sending that one away. He did not speak with her unless it was absolutely necessary. Weighed down by pointless guilt over his order that opened her eyes to see how strong this human really was.

Kirin had his own mission to accomplish, bringing men he deemed necessary to fulfill it. Finding another copy of the book Mukuro had destroyed and then finding a dark crone. If the human was physically healed before that, then keeping her unconscious was possible. She had probably more than earned the rest anyway.

Four days after he was sent out, Kirin and his men returned with surprising speed. She brought two strangers in tow. One was a young, cocky looking male demon and short, slim, sweet looking old woman with eyes so dark they looked black. Two guesses which one was the dark crone.

After a quick look in both of their minds, Mukuro surveyed the male demon, Katsura, was a hunter/trapper of sorts who often sold to the old woman, the dark crone, Kurai. He used to hunt humans who had accidentally crossed into the Demon World, but once it was illegal to do so, the only humans he sold were ones that were already dead before he found them. He also sold dead wild demon animals to Kurai as well. The job was getting harder and less lucrative, so he was ready to move up in the world.

Kurai was a mystery. Mukuro could read no thought or even a hint of a brain wave off of the dark crone. Completely blocked from any mind reading in any way. All that she could figure out about the woman was what she could get from Katsura's mind.

"That was fast," Mukuro said as she stepped over to the lot of them. "How did you find her so fast?" she asked Kirin.

"This trapper my lord," Kirin said as he indicated the cocky demon standing next to him. Katsura gave of a swagger similar to what Yasha had the morning after bedding an attractive man. "He was a the inn at the cross roads we stopped out."

"They were quite lucky," Katsura said on the tail of Kirin's words. "One hour before or after and they might have been searching for months." He smiled with only one side of his mouth. The asymmetry plied up his over self confidence. "Kurai doesn't just trade with anyone. Much less leave her home."

"And you are?" Mukuro asked him with feigned curiosity.

"Kat," he said with a flourish of a bow.

After a nod to the show off, Mukuro turned to the dark crone. Meeting her eye sent a hallowed chill down her spine. "Kurai," the older woman respond with a delicate, but more modest bow. Mukuro shifted her shoulders down to the older woman in response. "So your man said you wish to speak with me privately about a gift."

"Yes," she answered easily, still trying to sort out how to read dark crone's mind. "Follow me if you would," she said as she stepped away towards the healing chamber.

The crone fell in step with her, but paused when Katsura had tried to follow them. "That was not an invitation for you my dear. Please stay behind." She held her hand out to stop him.

"Well then what am I supposed to do?" he asked with an incredulous whine. "I was promised an award for helping you." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'll meet with you after," Mukuro told him dismissively.

She continued to walk with Kurai following behind her. As she walked, she told Yasha mentally, 'test him in the pit. Tell him he can have his fun while he waits so he won't get impatient.'

'And if he dies?' Yasha asked back.

'The dead can't claim rewards,' she responded.

'What are you going to do with the dark crone. Tell me.'

Mukuro opted to end the conversation there. She brought Kurai right into the healing chamber, with Nanashi's unconscious and nearly healed body floating in her healing tank's waters.

"A human?" Kurai asked with passive interest. She stepped over to the tank and scrutinized Nanashi. "Is this a gift? A reward for what I am to do for you?"

The word 'gift' was unsettling. Still nothing in her mind was readable. "Close," Mukuro corrected her. "She'll be the recipient of what I want you to do."

"And that is?" Kurai asked as she began to walk around the healing tank looking Nanashi up and down.

"The life span transference," Mukuro responded.

Kurai stopped in her tracks, and looked over at Mukuro with a puzzled expression. "Humans hardly live long at all. Just under half of what a fire demon or an ice demon would live. If they didn't breed so fast, they would have gone extinct long ago."

"I want this one to live longer."

"Why?"

"She's strong. Loyal. She worth cost and can put the years to better use." And after finding Hiei, he would not have to spend around 94 years alone once she was gone.

Kurai gave Nanashi a quick one over from her right side. "With a human, this is possible. From a demon to a human I mean. I haven't done it in 300 or so years, but I was successful. That king got his long reign he so desired... Where's the mate?"

"Not here," she replied succinctly.

"When will he? She? Arrived?"

"After the process is completed."

"Who's the giver then?" She had to have been thinking to try to sort that out.

"Myself."

Kurai looked at her like she was daft. "You are not her mate. Yet you want to do this for her?" When Mukuro did not respond, she added, "how many years?"

"94."

Kurai looked at her as if she was trying to read her mind now. "That's all you've got left. That and just a handful of weeks. You'll never have another birthday as long as you live. There are faster ways to die if you have a death wish."

"I didn't send for you to council me, I sent for you to do the life span transference. Will you do it or not?"

Kurai nodded. "I can." She looked over at the tank and touched it fondly. "Second time I've done this on a human. And second time the giver is not their mate. Or spouse. Or whatever they call their mates..." Kurai looked Nanashi's body over once more. "She is quite young still. And quite healthy. Possibly would be such a resilient healer." She pulled her hand away from the tank and looked back over to Mukuro. "Every time I preform my arts, they are very costly when it comes to supplies. Supplies that having been growing more and more difficult as of recently to replenish. I will do this," she paused, making Mukuro hopeful. "So long as I can take from her body. Regenerative tissues and fluids only though. The younger the human, the better quality of product. Besides, I have more than I need of non-regenerative parts in my stores."

"Absolutely not," Mukuro hissed at her. "You would weaken her." What was she thinking...?

"After I took what I wanted from her, I would reset that area of her body back to what it was a month before. It will be like the procedure never happened. I'll still have my payment though and recovery will be easy her. Until her body catches on what's happening and resists. Then I would stop and move on to another item."

"No," Mukuro told her insistingly. "Chose another payment." Had she been able to read her mind, she would be able to suss out what that other payment could be. Blank as an empty canvas...

Kurai gave her a small frown. "You," she said shrewdly. Mukuro adjusted her collar on her neck towards her center, hiding any burn marks that might have been visible. "You'll be tired when you awake, and maybe a little sore in the areas I take from. But you won't miss anything your body can't regenerate on its own."

"Deal," she conceded, trying to focus on what could be going through Kurai's mind, rather than what was going through hers.

Kurai looked over at Nanashi. "She'll need out of the tank. Both of you will need to be laid out of separate beds, tables, or gurneys. Also, both of your minds need to be occupied while your unconscious. The body could rebel against the removal or addition of years if not the mind is not distracted."

After a moment of thought, Mukuro stepped over to the tank and touched it, using it as a catalyst to pass memories of the times when she was suspicious of Hiei falling for Nanashi, but without the confession of loving her from him. He should say that to her on his own. Nanashi's body went rigid and straightened up. Her eyes danced behind her eyelids, but she stayed asleep.

Mukuro took her hand away from the tank. Her mind will take a long time to process all those memories. She was strong enough to handle this, but she will be guarded from any pain or discomfort from the life span transference.


	80. Chapter 80

An aching pain and discomfort that seemed to rip through her lower abdomen awoken Mukuro from her slumber. The pain seemed to be the only feeling in the world. A drowsy desire to sleep so to escape from the pain tempted her oh so softly. She nearly gave into the desire when not so far away from her came a plaintive whimper. The sound was familiar; familiar enough to dissuade her from slipping into another slumber.

"Hush," a hard but quiet voice came. A voice she knew, but could not be labeled familiar. "If you quit trying to wake up and focus on those memories, you won't have to feel a thing. Never knew a human who could fight off my sleeping powders so readily."

Mukuro opened her eyes languidly, blinking the sleepy haze from them. She was laying on her left side. Ahead of her she saw in sideways vision Nishi laid out on a cot on her stomach with her head turned towards Mukuro... the cot she was placed on in hers and Hiei's room for the life span transference procedure. Mukuro felt the cot beneath her with renewed familiarity.

Mukuro moved on her eyes only and saw Kurai standing near Nanashi's head, holding a small bag in her hand. She reached into the small bag, pulled out a small handful of pinkish powder, and blew it in Nanashi's face. Nanashi's red, wincing face gave a small cough and then relaxed. Kurai stepped away from her next, stepping over to the table laid out behind, but between both her cot and Nanashi's. She set the small bag down on the table with a sigh picked up a large needle with an attached empty syringe, and then stepped back over to Nanashi's prone form. The table held several needles with red filled syringes, and a few small bags full of orange hairs.

Nanashi lay on her stomach with a blanket covering her torso, but only to her hips. Her hips and legs were uncovered as Kurai went back up to her. "Ten times," she said with a small laugh. "Ten times I've taken your marrow," she lay hand on the outside of Nanashi's hips. Her hand glowed with a maroon red light. "Ten times you've been reset. Ten times you've given me what I want." She hoisted up the needle in her hand and lined it up with Nanashi's hip bone.

"Get away from her," Mukuro hissed at Kurai as she pushed her upper body up from her cot. As she moved to bring her legs off of her cot, the pain in her lower left side shot through her. She gasped and brought her hand to her side.

Kurai turned around and faced Mukuro with a scowl on her face. "You should be asleep too." Kurai marched over to the table and set the needle she had aimed at Nanashi down.

"I told you you could not take from her," Mukuro said as she stood up shakily, holding onto the cot for stability. She adjusted her the robe around her to cover her up.

"You double crossed me," Kurai said simply as she picked up the small bag that held the pink powder. She turned around to face Mukuro. "You told me to only take from you, but you neglected to tell me you are not whole. After I made the transference from you to her, I noticed what have hidden. You are burned and scarred. I cannot take all I want from you, which is why I will take from her as well now."

Mukuro let go of her cot and took a few trudging steps towards Kurai, feeling overwhelmed with rage at what the dark crone had done. Her side felt like it split in half, causing her to fall to her knees. The pain threatened to make her pass out. She looked down at her side, wondering how it could hurt so much without bleeding at all. 'Yasha. Kirin,' she called mentally to both of them.

Kurai picked up the small bag of pink powder she had blown in Nanashi's face and stepped over to Mukuro on her knees. Kurai reached into her bag and took a small pinch of the powder out of the bag and held it in her hand. "Tsk tsk tsk," the dark crone breathed. "You kept her mind busy, but not yours. Not long enough. Beyond that whimper, she has made no attempts to awaken." She held her hand with the powder out in front of her. "At least with one breath of this will make you sleep and forget what you've just seen." A cruel smile spread across her lips as she brought her face and hand in line with Mukuro' face. With a forceful exhale, she blew the powder into her face.

The last thing Mukuro remembered was a burning sensation on her face as she inhaled.


	81. Chapter 81

The sounds of sprinting, pounding, and finally the sound of a door being kicked awoke Mukuro groggily. A splitting pain in her side made her grit her teeth and hissed aloud in response. She looked down at the cold floor beneath her, struggling to place in her mind why she would be down here instead of on her cot.

Kurai was kneeling in front of her, reaching down and offering her her hand. "You should not be awake," she said sweetly. "You must not have kept your mind occupied long enough." She jumped as the door made a large cracking sound. "You fell on the floor because of the pain my dear."

"Whose behind that door?" Mukuro asked as she took Kurai's offered hand. She helped ease her onto her cot to sit down. "I told everyone to stay away until we came out."

"Just rest easy my dear," Kurai said, flustered as the door gave another loud crack. She hastily went over to the table and rapidly gathered up all the vials, bags, and syringes there. She shoved them in her large bag hastily. "Go back to sleep," she half ordered.

The door gave one last crack as it slammed opened. Kirin and Yasha stepped into the room, studying it intently. As Yasha's eyes went to Nanashi's sleeping body, so did Mukuro's. She rested on her stomach with her head turned towards Mukuro. It was very odd that the sheet over top of her only covered her back, but left her ass and legs bare.

Yasha closed the distance between himself and Kurai, leaving only the table between them. He slammed his hands on the table, unexpectedly. "What did you do?" he asked a little too loudly. Kurai flinched and then continued to quickly shove the rest of the things in her large bag.

Kirin had stepped over to Mukuro and stood protectively nearby her. He knelt down in front of her and asked, "are you alright my lord?"

Mukuro watched Yasha looming over the table at Kurai as she spoke, "I'm fine. Yasha, what's wrong with you?"

Yasha did not take his eyes off of Kurai as he asked her directly, "did you finish whatever she wanted?" Distaste colored his voice.

"Yes sir," Kurai said quickly after a few quick breathes. "I've finished, so now if you'll excuse me, I really should be going." She went to stepped around the table, but Yasha mirrored her move, making her halt. Kurai clutched her large bag to her chest.

"Mukuro, why did you call for us?" Yasha asked Mukuro without looking away from the frightened Kurai.

"I didn't call for you," she told him, frowning in confusion. "What are you two doing here?"

"What did you do?" Yasha snapped down at the small woman who seemed to shrink before him.

"I didn't do anything," she said pitifully as she backed up two steps. "I did what I was asked and was paid."

"She called for us," Yasha said evenly. His hands were behind his back, shuffling.

"She hasn't been conscious since you guys came knocking. She must have called for you in her sleep or something."

"She can't call out when unconscious." Yasha closed the distance between the two of them, reached over and snatched her bag from her hands with his bare hands. He held the bag up high above his head. Kurai had no chance to reach up to get his bag back, even if she jumped.

"Please," she pleaded desperately. "Give me back my bag. Please."

"Tell me what you did or I smash this," he threatened.

"Please. I didn't do anything. Please."

Yasha took the bag and threw it down on the ground. He stomped on it in a few quick successions. The crinkling cracking of shattered glass and plastic filled the air in time with the faint smell of blood.

Kurai screamed at him in rage. "What have you done!" Her body began trembling and a black aura surrounded her body.

"Tell me what you've done or I will kill you," he told her calmly, clearly not afraid of the wavering darkness surrounding her.

Instead of answering, she flew at him in rage, hands out like claws, going for his face. He knocked one hand away and brought a tight grip around her wrist. He brought his face down to her ear and mouthed one word.

As Kurai began to writhe, Yasha dropped his hold on her. By the time she reached the ground, she was dead.

"Why did you do that?" Mukuro asked him, trying to figure out why in the world he would want to kill Kurai. "She hadn't done anything wrong!"


	82. Chapter 82

The human sure could sleep like the dead. Mukuro waited impatiently for Nanashi to wake up. It had been several hours since Yasha had killed Kurai and the mess from it cleaned up. Mukuro was still cross with Yasha's unprovoked murder. She warned him to keep his distance as she still puzzled over how she had called for Kirin and Yasha without remembering why. She figured she must have awoken briefly right after the procedure, fallen off her cot, and maybe called for them in panic from the fall. It still was not something Kurai could have been killed for. At least it was done after the life span transference was completed.

Mukuro had checked over Nanashi just in case. She should no signs of damage thankfully. It was odd though that her lower stomach showed no signs of stretch marks anywhere though. They must have been recent enough to have been healed when she was in the healing tank.

As soon as Nanashi awoke, Mukuro planned to get started in planning to track down Hiei, where ever he was. He would have to forgive Nanashi for attacking her because she came back her, sworn loyalty, and proved herself strong. And he would have to forgive Mukuro for the fight as she gave Nanashi the life span transference so he would not have to live without her or sacrifice any of his own life span.


	83. Chapter 83

The Hayato clan was not all it was cracked up to be. While the mate and the large demon were accepting, all be it grudgingly that he came alone, of his return, others eyed Hiei dis-trustingly. The mate was annoyed that he did not bring Nishi because without her, she felt like there was no chance of convincing the Demon World king for independence.

He spent the days almost listless, not sure what to do with himself. The other clansmen he had contact with were stand offish to say the least; just watching him whenever he was nearby without saying a word. The mate had told her staff that he was to be given whatever he wanted when ever he wanted it. Who he wanted, but did not want, was here. It annoyed him that he liked being around the mate, even though he did not like to hear her talk so much. It made him pine less for the one he would rather be with. The pain in his center was just a dull, almost nonexistent ache that just let him know it existed. Around the mate, it was nonexistent. Her mate though, the large demon, seemed to dislike the closeness between the two of them. He hardly saw anyone else and hardly talked to anyone else.

One day in the morning, the large demon came to his rooms. "Get up," he told him.

"Why?" Hiei responded.

"Because I want to see what you can do," the large demon told him. "If you are going to stay here, you need to show what you can do. Laying around and moping makes you look weak. No one's going to respect you or accept you if they think you're weak."

Grudging Hiei followed after him to the arena in the center of the territory. The arena was near empty, with only a handful of other demons sparring in the area. The demoness and the beauty were there. Both had their weapons, a dagger and a knife respectively, out. The demoness was sharpening one of hers with a whet stone while the beauty had her blade up by her mouth, singing to it softly. Both of them perked up and stopped what they were doing when they saw them. The demoness stared daggers and twitched her nose disapprovingly at him. The beauty looked only curiously at him.

"Pick one and spar," the large demon told Hiei as he gestured to all the demons in the area and himself. "Including myself. The dozen in here are among the strongest demons in our clan. Defeat anyone of us and you'll finally stop looking so weak."

He looked around arena curious about the twelve of them here. At one sight and sense, anyone of them would make for a fun fight. He felt a thrill of excitement for the first time in a while. The beauty stood up calmly, sheathed her blade, and looked expectantly at him; non-verbally volunteering for the fight.

"What, is he done moping now?" the demoness sneered as she twirled her dagger around her hand, drawing his attention to her. "Missing the mate you left behind hucker?" That made the choice an easy one. The demoness gave a small laugh as she practically skipped into center where a large, square fighting grounds stood. "Come on then," she egged him on. "Our last fight was interrupted, but this time, Hayate is not going to save you."

As Hiei stepped into the fighting grounds, he told her, "you and I remember that fight a little differently. As I recall, he had to save your life."

The demoness had her dagger ready in a flash and charged him. She moved slower than he recalled. He dodged her easily as she sliced the blade back and forth through the air at him. She grunted each time she brought the blade at him. He felt an awakening, a lightness, every time he dodged her. The thrill of the fight.

"Stop running away and fight you damned coward!" she shouted at him, trying to move faster to catch him.

He stopped then as she requested, surprising her, but she still brought her dagger across his chest for a shallow slice through his cloak and shirt and making him bleed. She looked at him for a second in disbelief as he had not yet moved an inch. Then she brought her dagger down at him, aiming to drive it down to his heart. At the last second, he brought his hand up to her wrist and kept it from stabbing him.

"I stop for you and that's all you can do?" he asked her. "I know a foolish human who could do worse."

He tightened his grip on her wrist, squeezing until he felt and heard a pop. She hissed threw her teeth and dropped her dagger between them. Next, he let her wrist go with a shake and punched across her jaw. She staggered back and then tackled him with a growl, sending both of them off the fighting ground and down to the hard ground below. She had her uninjured hand around his neck, pressing down on his adam's apple as her knee pressed down under his rib cage.

He could not breathe with her hand around his neck. Even if he could, he would not be able to expand his lungs with her knee pressing down on his waist. He tried and failed to blink away the black spots floating in his vision. He desperately heated up both hands until they were aflame black and brought them both around her forearm. She gave a high pitch scream as she tightened her grip around his neck while black flames burned her arm with a sickening burnt smell.

The pain got to her before the lack of air got to him as she yanked her arm away from his neck. She stayed on top him still as he took the chance to suck down as many shallow breathes as his compressed rib cage could allow him. He brought his unburned, but still aflame hands on her thighs, burning her there too. She cried out and kicked herself away from him. The blackened burns on her arm and thighs smoldered as she struggled to stay standing.

"Damn fire demon," she muttered as he rose up and faced her. "I ought to kill you."

He charged at her and knocked her down. She went down easily, struggling because of the burns and the broken wrist that had to hurt. She would not be able to fight him anymore. To continue to fight her would just be cruel.

He looked passed her, noticing the demons, including the beauty and the large demon watching on objectively. The beauty wore a simple smile on her face.

He still felt the desire to fight, half remembering advice Yasha had once given him. Back when he almost considered taking the beauty as the mate. Prove his strength by first defeating the demoness and then immediately fight the beauty...

He jumped back into the fighting grounds. He heard and saw two other demons rush over to the demoness and help her up and walk away. She was screaming that she would kill him once she was healed. One of the demons had her leaning on the wall and was busily healing her.

Hiei's eyes locked on the beauty as he stood patiently. She blinked up at him doe eyed, with her lips slightly parted. She walked simply up to the fighting grounds and pulled herself up slowly. She stood up straight and nodded at him once. Her soft, feminine features seemed to light up at the idea of fighting him. She drew her knife and brought it up to her mouth, singing a haunting song quietly into it. The intricate carvings along the blade glowed with a faint, rainbow light. It was then he recognized that it was the same blade Mukuro had sent her.

Next, she twirled the blade in her hands. "Thank you for the blade," she said in a quiet sing song voice.

She stopped the knife and swung it arc horizontally in front of her. A translucent, rainbow light and a soft song came out from the blade and headed straight for him. He dodged the light, but the beauty continued arc the blade towards him, finally being nicked by one on his upper left arm. His arm was hardly scratched, but a deafeningly loud, high pitched note sounded as he was struck. The sound seemed to bore its way into his left ear until he could not longer hear anything but that sound. Then silence was stuffed in his ear. He shook his head, trying to shake off the silence and the wave of dizziness threaten to knock him over.

The beauty stood still, letting the knife and her arms hang loosely by her side as she blinked at him. He reached his hand up to his left ear and felt something wet leaking from it down the side of his face and neck. He pulled his hand into his line of sight and saw his own blood on his hand.

"Your newfound deafness isn't permanent. It can be healed," she told him. He could barely hear her with his right ear still in tact. "Had you been hit in the chest, well," she smiled demurely, "I would likely not be able to explain myself. But do try not to get hit a second time." The beauty twirled the knife around in her hand again before she began to swing and arc it for another round.

He jumped away, dodging the sound energy she swung at him. Getting behind her was going to be key. He moved swiftly, dodging the arcs as he went. Getting behind her was almost too easy. Once he managed to get behind her did she move.

She swung herself around smoothly and parried her knife towards his right side, throwing an arc right against his forearm. He swore at it as the pain danced over his forearm and a loud, high pitched note rang in his right ear until everything was silence.

The world was noiseless and silent all around him. He could not even hear himself breathing or the sound of his heart pumping echoing in his ear canals. He tried to speak, his mouth moving, but he heard no words coming out. He shouted, but still heard nothing. He recalled the stranger had told him to take her out quickly, and now he knew way.

He had his sword out and closed the distance between the two of them. As their blades crossed, he could see an array of colors dancing across the carvings in her knife. She kept her blade up and did not budge an inch as he pushed his sword down on her. When she did move, she stomped on his foot on his instep savagely, but did not budge her upper body. He did not move either. She squinted her eyes at him curiously and kicked him in the shin. She kicked him in the other shin, but was not able to do anything substantial. She jumped backwards away from him and arced the knife across the air. He dodge it, but did not see the second one she sent at him until it hit him square in the chest and sent him flying off the fighting grounds, over the grass, and into the far wall around the arena grounds. He coughed hard, bringing up a mouthful of blood that he spat out distastefully. He repeated the process, finding it hard to breath all of a sudden as a drowning sensation came over him. He gasped for breath, but could only inhale shallowly and exhale in coughed up blood. He would not be able fight like this or summon up any flames or dragons like this.

The beauty jumped calmly from the fighting grounds and sheathed her knife. She walked over to him and offered him a white handkerchief from her pocket. He took it and wiped his mouth. He took another rattling, choking breath and retched up more blood. Another one of the demons who had been watching his fights was over to him and healing his chest before he could even realize what was happening. He was able to breathe fully again and the cut the demoness carved in his chest was healed as well. The healer brought her hands over his ears a well and he could finally hear again.

When he was fully healed, he looked over at the beauty who stood calmly nearby. Her calm and collected self irritated him. "What are you staring at?" he snarled at her.

"I would like my handkerchief back. So I can wash your blood from it," she told him in a steady tone.

He scowled at her, throwing the requested item down at her feet. She knelt down slowly and picked it up the corner delicately. She shook out the dirt from it for good measure. Then she put it in her pocket to save it to clean for later. "Thank you," she sang down to him. "You're much stronger than you look," she said as a back handed compliment.

Later on, after the dinner Hiei skipped, even though he would have preferred to be near the mate, he went out walking around the village's walls. The walls were a high and surrounded the entire village securely. The view was interesting as he could see for miles over the rolling hills and mountains as the sun was setting. He tried not to think about who else might like this view.

As he sensed someone behind him, he turned to look back and saw the beauty walking over to him expressionlessly. Of all the people... He debated internally about walking away should she decide to begin to gloat over her cheap victory. Deafening him in battle was distasteful.

She stopped nearby him and leaned against the inner wall. She brought her hands in front of her and interlaced her fingers. She was standing a little to close to him for the liking. She looked over at him expectantly.

He was finally irked at her silence as he broke the awkward silence between them. "What do you want girl?"

"I'm trying to puzzle out what has you so sour? Pining for your mate, having finally figured out the gunju dislikes you being so close so often to the gunjueun, having to resort to using energy attacks to defeat Aiko, losing our fight, or coming to the realization that until this morning, most of the people here, myself included, thought you were a weak coward?" He recalled now that she tended to talk too much. "Well now, which is it?"

"Shut up," he hissed at her.

"Testiness goes hand in hand with arrogance it seems," she hummed. He rounded on her, standing over in front of her, brought his hands passed her sides, and laid his hands on the wall. She looked completely unimpressed as she said, "if you are too close to me, you will begin to pine for your mate all the more." He stepped back away from her when he realized she was right. His stomach hinted at an ache. "It's not quite codependency as you've shown you can function well enough without her, but you'll continue to be lonely until she is close enough physical distance wise to you. At least, that is what I have heard about matehood." Her tone did hint at scorn.

"What do you know about matehood? I see no bite on your neck," he pointed out.

"I have yet to find a demon male strong enough to defeat me," she countered. "I may never have a mate," she added with a shrug. "I will say if I did have a mate who disappeared because I quarreled with his friend, well, I would not have a mate much longer." She was impressive, much to his displeasure. "Where is your actual mate? And your children for that matter?"

"None of your business," he growled at her. He felt the crazed temptation to shove her over the wall, but after fighting with her today, he thought better of it.

"Sounds as if you've lost them. How careless of you." She sighed. "You should at least be selfish in a way to have her nearby so you don't have to mope around like a caged beast all the time. Probably be better to ignore her close at hand."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Remind me again? Which one is your mate? Mukuro or the human?"

"Shut up."

"Too mopey to figure it out? I've seen how weak a mated demon can be rendered due to the distance from their mate. They get careless and weak from distraction."

"I'm not weak."

"Not yet," she half agreed. "You know what I think?"

"I don't care."

She kept going. "I think you should go fetch your mate and children. Bring them here. Tuck them away in a corner where you don't have to interact with her if you don't want to. Close enough that you can be strong and brave. Because the longer you act weak, the weaker you will become."

"No, she-" he began before she interrupted him.

"I didn't say you had to forgive her. Tap into some selfish arrogance you've got there and use her presence to your advantage. Or," she said with a little excited jump, "if she were here, I could have a spar with her." The idea seemed to be enticing for her. "I love to see what a human woman you thought was a better match to chose for a mate over myself can do. She'd have to be strong to seduce you." She gave a hint of a smile at the idea.

"She is strong..." he breathed, trying to think if her half brained idea could possibly work. Close enough to not have to deal with the symptoms due to mate separation, but distant enough that he would not have to have a reminder or her attacking Mukuro or of what he nearly did to her.

"I look forward to meeting her," she said perceptively. He frowned at her. "I'm not a telepath, she said as she rolled her eyes. "People forget how easy it is to learn to read body language. As for you, you're easy to read when you're not on guard."

"I haven't decided yet," he growled at her and her impertinence.

"Oh, you haven't?" she gave a charming smile. "There's not very many people living on the western edge of the territory. Bring them here soon." After saying her piece, she pushed herself away from the wall, turned to her left, and sauntered away.

He watch her walk away, disliking her and her words. Even if she was persuasive. As he walked back to his rooms, he thought over what the beauty had said, disliking the idea, but thinking it best more and more to keep from being seen as weak.

As he reached his rooms, he saw a male demon pacing back and forth in front of his main door. He clutched a piece of paper tightly in his fist.

"What do you want?" he asked the male demon irritably. If this demon wanted to offer him a lecture too, he had another thing coming.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm sorry, I-" the male demon said flustered. He held up the crumpled paper before Hiei. "This letter came for her ladyship. She said it was extremely important for you to see this right away."

Hiei ripped the paper out of his hands and held up in front of himself. He skipped to the bottom of the letter and saw the signatures at the bottom, much to his own surprise. As his eyes jumped back up to the top and he skimmed the letter, he was shocked at what it read.

"What the hell happened?!" The male demon before him cringed. "What the hell are they thinking!" He turned around, heading straight for the mate's rooms.


	84. Chapter 84

The mate had to have more information. Hiei moved swiftly from outside his own rooms to the mate's rooms, even though she said she usually went to bed early. He went in to her and the large demon's rooms, coming through their main door without knocking. He stepped through their private meeting room as well, seeing a flurry of paper strewn haphazardly on her small table. He frowned curiously at the sight of them. She tended to be meticulously organized.

He moved over to their bedroom door, but stopped, even though he sensed both the mate and the large demon awake in bedroom. He stepped away from the door in a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. He stepped back over to her table, and began rummaging through the mate's papers, trying to see what else was here that covered the letter sent by Mukuro and Nishi. Trying to figure out what happened and the two of them were sending off letters calling for his return or at least any information as to his own whereabouts.

As he dug threw the papers, he heard the large demon swear loudly. The mate scolded him with equal loudness, but double the shrillness.

The mate looked flustered and annoyed herself as she came through their bedroom door, slamming it behind her. "Just what do you think your doing?" she asked in a huff.

"When were you going to tell me about this?" he asked, holding the original letter from Mukuro and Nishi out in front of him.

She took the letter from him, saying, "I received it this morning, but-"

He interrupted her, "you had hours to tell me-"

"Do not interrupt me," the mate scolded him unafraid. "I had not gotten to it until the afternoon. I was going to tell you about it before dinner, but you were off sulking over Ayane defeating you in a fair fight."

"Deafening your opponent is cowardly."

"Then so is burning your opponent."

"What else do you know about my mate and Mukuro?" he changed the subject back. Just the thought of her made his breath short and his center tighten involuntarily. Being near the mate, someone who was already mated, made the pain ease.

The mate stepped passed him and over to the stack of papers on began to sort through them calmly.

As she was sorting, the large demon came out of their bedroom with an irked air around him. "I thought you were sending him away?" he said shortly.

"I said no such thing," she said. "You said that."

"Whatever it is, it can wait until the morning," he grumbled.

"No he can't," she said. "But you can."

He huffed and then went over and knelt down next to her, shifting through the papers to help her. He was certainly keen to hurry this process along. He swore under his breath as he held up a letter he had been skimming. "This looks important."

The mate snagged it out of his hands before he could keep going. "Had you not knocked everything off my table when you-" she stopped talking, face suddenly becoming flush. "When you knocked everything off of it like ten minutes ago, I would have seen that I had yet to have read that letter today. Honestly." She began to read over the letter as her eyes danced along the page. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

She handed the letter over Hiei nervously. It was a letter from the stranger saying Yomi had threatened to kidnap the twins to draw Hiei out, kill one if necessary, though he was unsure why Yomi would care that much. The stranger warned that he also knew that the twins were at the old psychic's temple and plans to make the kidnap were imminent. Mukuro kept this down played for Nishi because she planned to send the stranger there as a covert protection for the twins. The stranger was worried he would not be enough protection or that the old psychic might turn on him if he crossed her lands.

"I need to go," he said as he finished the letter. "I need to get them... Move them somewhere safe. Somewhere Yomi can't get them..." Panic was brewing.

"Bring them here," the mate jumped in. "We'll keep them safe. I promise."

He felt panic building, but he suppressed it. "I need to go after them. Now. Where's the nearest portal to the Human World?"


	85. Chapter 85

Hiei went onto the Human World and to the old psychic's land in a hurry, not sure if the mate's plan made any sense at all to him beyond just make the twins were safe. Even if he wanted distance from Nishi, no one was going to be allowed to threaten them. He sensed out and found seven demons that were unfamiliar around the area. Had to be from Yomi's territory.

'What's going on?' the old psychic reached out and found his mind. The woman sounded more irritated than usual in her mental message.

'I've got it,' he promised. 'Just keep quiet about it.'

'Meh,' the old psychic thought back. 'Secrets abound.' She ended the conversation at that.

He tracked the seven demons all to easily. They still managed to suppress their energy levels. Or they were really weak. Weak was probable, whether compared to an average demon or compared to himself. Subjective.

He cut down all but one of them easily, but let them live for now. Easier to question so he could figure out what the hell was going on. They were so weak that the detective's potential mate could have probably taken them down by herself.

As he stood ready to take out the strongest one, ready to question him when a shrill, nightmarishly piercing noise echoed over the area. The sound made him wish he had remained rendered deaf by the beauty. The demon in front of him fell unconscious from the sound. He himself dropped to the ground, holding his hands over his ears. His sword stayed in hand as he covered his right ear the best he could as the sound seemed to bore into his soul. His body pitched forward, slipping into a state of barely conscious in an effort to escape the sound.

The sound stopped finally, but he could barely register the silence. He took a second to wondered why his ears were not bleeding.

Before another thought could register in his mind, he felt a set of lips claim his in a gentle kiss. He jumped up, panicked as that could kill him if that was not his mate for the infidelity. Nishi would be no where to be found in time. As he sat up, bewildered, he looked over and saw Nishi sitting down next time, looking very relieved. And very slim in the unfamiliar grey and white kimono she wore. And different. Something was off about her. Right but not right just ever so slightly.

"Grab him," Mukuro said as she emerged through the woods behind Nishi with a grey, rectangular shape in her hands.

Nishi had the wind dragon up and around his left forearm before he could even think to move away from her. He tried to pull away from her, but he stopped when he realized he was dragging Nishi along with him.

The two of them were together, working together, to find him, truly. He watched nervously as Mukuro set the grey rectangle down, walked over to the seven of Yomi's men on the ground, and snapped their necks. This was not adding up. He itched to look into their minds so he could figure out what was going on.

"Why's Yomi pursuing you?" Mukuro asked him. It was a pointless question to ask him. She knew the answer. Nishi stood up awkwardly and stood next to him.

If she was going to be coy, so was he. The secretiveness was palpable. "I'm not sure, but I learned of a plot to get my children, so I came here to guard them." Mukuro expression was unreadable, but Nishi looked a mix of shocked and temperamental. "Apparently when someone told him I was missing, he sent demons after me." Mukuro gave him a quick curious look that told she knew he was lying. Nishi frowned at the statement. He kept the lies up, to see what either woman would do or what they could know. If he said something Nishi knew was a lie, she would openly contradict him. Mukuro would be quiet and curious as he spoke and let him continue to speak. "I questioned the first one, who was ordered that if I couldn't be captured, then to get the children so as to tempt me to him."

The way Mukuro raised her brow slightly told him she knew he was lying.

"I'll make him regret that," Nishi snarled. She was in the dark on a lot. Something was wrong, no, not right about her. Not how it should be.

"Why are you two searching me?" he cut to the chase. "You hate each other." Nishi bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably at his statement. "I ordered you both to leave me be."

Nishi had her free hand up by her mouth in a balled up fist.

Mukuro responded, "take off your headband and read her mind." She nodded towards Nishi. "It'll be faster."

Mukuro was hiding something. "I don't take orders from you," he told her shortly. He shook his arm to try to shake free from the wind dragon curled around it, but the creature only tightened its grip. "Call off your dragon," he told Nishi.

Nishi would not even look at him. She looked over to Mukuro and asked, "should I let him go my lord?" That term addressing Mukuro coming from her mouth sounded unnatural.

"No," Mukuro said firmly. "He'll run," she predicted. "We don't have another tracker to find him." They were working together. With Nishi as a clear subordinate.

He study both of them carefully. "You two hate each other," he said with confidence.

"It's a fun story. Why don't you take a peak in her mind and find out what it is," Mukuro responded. If he did, he had a feeling he would not have the full story. Nishi did not appear to have it.

He growled at the annoyance, but did as she suggested. It did not take long to go through her recent memories. The guilt, the determination to find him, the submission to Mukuro, the fighting, and then waking up and sussing out a plan to track him down together. She wanted him back and would have moved heaven and earth to do it if that was what it took. Cursed to love him, but loved him all the same. The curse was strong. He read her mind too fast for her to handle. She gasped and doubled over. He turned his head over to Mukuro to get the rest of the story.

Mukuro blocked him. "I said read her, not me. We have almost the same story." Almost was not the same.

"You're hiding something. What else did you do to her?" he asked her, patience growing thin. He tried to shake the wind dragon off and railed against Mukuro's mental blocks. 'Tell me and I'll consider coming back,' he told her silently. 'That's what the two of you want, isn't it? Me back at your side?'

Mukuro spoke aloud. "Come back with us." She teased almost. "I can offer your children better protection against Yomi." A lie to cover his lie. "My new right hand is better suited in the library anyway." She nodded over to Nishi. "She's quite the clever one."

Mukuro would never have complemented Nishi like that. Even if she had proven she was strong and submitted to her. The easy way she said it was simply unnatural for her.

He gave his arm one more shake and then gave up. He was still trying to figure his way around Mukuro's mind to know her version of the story. "You forced her to risk her life against Jin. There's something different about her. Something that feels wrong. What is it?"

Nishi looked suddenly quite nervous, worried above all thing if it was about her looks. She was a bit too skinny now, but still strong. She was fine, but slightly not fine at the same time.

"Mukuro..." Nishi stuttered out.

"Sshh," Mukuro directed at her. "You have a bargain in our head. Make it."

'Show me what you did, and all come back. For her, not you,' he thought to her. "Tell me and you've got a deal," he said aloud for Nishi's benefit.

Mukuro let him search her mind, but only let him see the stranger's order to see Nishi was strong and then the arrangement with a dark crone for the life span transference. Last, he saw the stranger kill the dark crone because he thought Mukuro had been harmed.

"What?!" he exclaimed in reaction. He was unsure which one of them made him angrier, the stranger or Mukuro. In the moment, it was Mukuro because she was right there. Nishi looked over at him bewildered. "You would not let me do it to her when I asked to!" He vividly recalled her tearing the books into shreds. "You said it was too dangerous," he babbled out, not being able to find the right words in his anger. Only a mate should make the transference, he remembered reading that line in the book. Lessens the risk of soul specs being transferred. "What give you the right-"

Mukuro had been Nishi wilting nervously next to him. "Just say thank you and be done with it." She wanted this conversation over before it could be explained. Nishi had no idea about the life span transference and had planned to never tell her about it. Let her figure out that 'miracle' in her own time. The chance for that was gone now.

He hated how much sense everything was beginning to make. At least Nishi got to act on her own free will. Mukuro had to obey the stranger's order to think she was strong and acted accordingly to that belief. "How many did you give her?" he asked aloud, torn between praying for a low number and a high number. The higher the number, the less time Mukuro had to live. The lower the number, the less time Nishi had to live. He dreaded wanting to know which one was doomed to die first.

"94," Mukuro answered in a surrendered tone. The same number of years that her type of demon was expected to live after reaching her current age.

"You only had that many left!" Too low. As high as possible. A sacrifice that was a side effect of the stranger's order to see Nishi as strong. She was strong, so she was given more time to be with her mate. So he would not have to suffer the death of him mate for nearly a century.

"No," Mukuro responded calmly. "I had a bit more than that. Not quite 95. I have enough left to set my affairs in order." 'Leave Yasha alone when I'm gone. The fool's guilt over his order is more than enough punishment for him. He already believes he drove me to an early grave,' she thought to him silently. Mukuro looked over at Nishi, who very confused and concerned at the moment. "Do you want to tell her or should I?"

He spoke to Nishi, but kept looking at Mukuro. "She gave you an extra 94 years to live. She took them from herself and transferred them to you while you were unconscious while you were healing. You have the same life expectancy I do now. If we both live to the same end of our life expectancies now, we will die in the same year."

Nishi had turned to him to ask, "how is that possible? My life expectancy is 75."

Mukuro spoke up next, "you're 20 years old. He's 50. His life expectancy, based on his mother and sister, is 199. No ice maiden has ever reached 200 because they only immaculately conceive once at 100. No ice maiden conceives twice. That would condemn him to 94 years without his mate. You'll age slower, but a little faster than him. You should live to be about 169 now instead of 75. When you reach that age, he'll reach 199."

"And you'll die before your next birthday," he added in. That had to be something she could look forward to, if nothing else. No more flashbacks on her birthday. Unless Nishi got those memories as a side effect of the life span transference...

"No! You can't!" Nishi shouted. She looked hurt and betrayed over at Mukuro.

Mukuro ignored Nishi's outburst, speaking to him directly. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I've lived long enough. She'll put them to better use."

Nishi pitched forward, landing on her knees. "Take them back!" she begged. "I didn't ask for this! I don't want them! Please..." It never took much to make her cry, but now she was in anguish. The sight of it ripped through him, making him wish he never left without her. While Mukuro had to be ordered to see her as strong, no orders bound Nishi to their newfound friendship. It would have been easier to watch her die than grieve this way. He could not even imagine how she would react when Mukuro actually died.

"It's irreversible," Mukuro responded without any real emotion. 'Imagine how she would have reacted if you made the life span transference instead.' Her tone in words and thoughts was so flippant in all of this. She should have been fighting to keep her life rather than sacrificing it for Nishi, ultimately for him.

Nishi was emotional enough for the three of them there. He hated the sight of it and that Mukuro had caused it. "That wasn't your place," he spat at her. "Only mates should make that sacrifice. You refused me when I went about it because she wasn't worthy to take part of my life time."

Mukuro was still unfazed. "Too late. You asked what I did and I responded. Besides, now you get your whole life time instead of giving up several decades. I expect you both to rejoin me in my castle." After so long, she turned and looked at Nishi, who had stopped crying, but moused up. She was silent and somber. "Nanashi, get up." Nishi wiped under her eyes and rolled back up onto her feet. Her head hung low, even after she straightened out her legs and back. Her hand came to his, feeling right and natural. "I expect both of you to return to my castle, with your children, and your belongings in twenty-four hours. Nanashi, you're fired. Hiei, you're my right hand again." Hiei frowned as Mukuro picked up off the ground, of all the thing, a human laptop. He could not recall her having one of those before. "Nanashi, you're the head librarian now. Feel free to bring more interesting things like this with you." Silently, she thought to him, 'stay with her. She needs you right now.' With that, Mukuro left them alone as a heavily awkward silence ensued.

Nishi let his hand go as she sunk to the ground, not even registering that the wind dragon still held fast to his forearm. "I'm giving them back..." she whispered resolutely. "I swear. I'll find a way.. there most be a way, someh-"

Before she could get too hopeful and too committed to her planing, he spoke. "You won't be able to give hers back. Once given, they cannot be transferred anywhere else. The most you could do is give her your original 55 years. And we can't trick her into taking any from either of us like she tricked you."

"How did she trick me?" she asked, confused.

How did she miss that? "She didn't tell you. If she had your permission, I doubt you would accept it. She hadn't even planned on telling either of us. I mentally told her if she told me what she did, I'd come back to both of you and be her right hand again willingly."

"What do we do now?" Her arm wrapped around her center as she fought a re-surging sob.

"Call your dragon off of me," he told her, shaking his arm as a reminder that she still held him. Once he was free, he could go find Mukuro.

She shook her head like a stubborn child. "First tell me why you left me the first time. The time before Mukuro and I fought."

He chose his words carefully as the memory came back, the desire to force himself on her in a moment of anger over what Mukuro had done with those three books. "I wanted to hurt you so very cruelly." The part that would directly affect her the most.

"Why?"

Why had to be the worst question anyone ever asked. "You refused me. I... I considered raping you. I ran to keep you safe." She pulled the wind dragon off him in a hurry, as if in disgust. Like she questioned all her motivation to find him again after that confession. "I'd never hurt you like that. It was thought in my head for a split tenth of a second. I planned to return... I never dreamed you would go after Mukuro. I could never make you like her." She looked a little bit more relaxed, but like if she needed to defend herself, she would at the slightest provocation. "it's an issue that comes up in matehood... I'd rather die than harm you like that. Running was the best way to protect you." His stomach twisted in pain, but it was manageable. With how close she was, he knew it would subside soon.

She looked cross with a mixed of apprehensive still as she shook her head. Everything was spinning around in her mind and she was struggling to make sense of all she now knew. He debated what to do, wondered what the fox would do in this situation. He sat down behind her as she watched him very carefully. She was so close physically, but still felt so far away. He could tell she craved to be closer, but was slightly nervous about what he would do. Very slowly, lest he spook her, he pulled her over to him. She hesitantly brought her head down to his chest. He brought his hand to her lower back, rubbing it as softly as he could. Nothing seemed to matter besides her in this moment. He would have a chance to grieve later. He kissed the top of her head as he reveled in the physical closeness to her he had not realized he had been craving.

"Always tell me if you need to run," she whispered the request. "I'll wait, but only if I know you'll come back."

An easy promise to make. "I will."

Her mind was tired, overtaxed with trying to figure out what had happened with Mukuro, with him, and was now dealing with a growing desire for him physically. She nuzzled closer to him, ready to succumb to the desire. As she began to kiss him chest lightly, he was not surprised. She was behaving like a demoness would in this situation. She brought her mouth up to his and kissed him shakily. Physically, she wanted him. Mentally, she was not quite sure, but wanted him.

"Not here," he whispered. The area they were in was too open. Not to mention they were on the old physic's grounds. He wanted Nishi, but did not want to anger the old physic. All it took was one more quick kiss and the softest little whimper from Nishi for him to think the hell with the old physic. He rose up with Nishi in his arms. She liked being held this way. "You sure?" She nodded to him wordlessly.

He walked with her, looking for somewhere that was less exposed in this forest. Once he found a large fell tree and the gaping hole it left in the ground, he figure there would be no better place. He set her down into the hole and tossed his cloak down to her. She spread it over an area with an shallow incline in the ground. He noticed as she did this, that the kimono she wore had Kaze's name written on the back. In her mind he saw Mukuro had it made for her. As a gift...

He jumped down to the hole, landing behind her. She was a little bit shaky as he undressed her quickly and completely. She offered no resistance as she was stripped down. She was entirely too thin compared to what she was ten months ago. Still physically strong certainly, but needed to gain more weight soon.

He could tell from her mind she was nervous about being so exposed, so he turned her around and guided her down against his cloak on the incline. He could cover her with himself, make her feel less insecure about where they were. He laid against her, mouth claiming her easily as his hand began roam over her body under his body. When she went to pull his undershirt off, he gently tapped her hands to tell her not to do that. She moved her hands to the front of his pants then, trying to undo them. He pushed her hands away.

He could tell from her mind she what she wanted him to do. She was not thinking, more so letting instinct tell her what she wanted to experience. He brought his up her outer thigh, down the center of it, and then up the inside and higher. She was tighter than he remembered. He half wondered if she was tight as she had been the first time he fucked her. She pictured his mouth on her neck as he fingered her. He moved his mouth did exactly what wanted, surprised,but reveling in the fact that she wanted him to be rough with her. She moaned shakily in his ear as she gripped his forearm as he moved. The sound was pleasing and soothing to hear coming from her in this moment. It did not take long for the moan to grow louder and finally turn into a pleasured scream. It was the only thing on her mind when it happened.

She clung to him, panting as she came down from the high of the explosive pleasure, thinking him perfect. "Take me," she whispered, her voice betraying the slightest bit of apprehension at the thought. It had hurt more than she thought it should when he first used his hand on her. She was worried it might hurt when he slid inside of her, but she was hot with desire. "Please. I want you."

He reached between them, undoing his belts and pants. That would be enough for this. He adjusted her beneath him and then brought her legs around his lower back. As he slid inside of her, he felt more resistance than usual as she gave off a whimper. She still wanted him, wanted him to be rough. If she wanted to be treated like a demoness, then that was what he intended to do. He bit her shoulder, harder than he intended as he drew blood without meaning to. The taste of it was glorious, but not quite what he remembered it was the last time he had. Just a hint of an off flavor. It did not matter at the time though.

She cried out at the twisted mix of pain from his bite and the pain and pleasure as he took her hard and rough. She scratched him on his back under his shirt and she screamed and squirmed beneath him. If her nails had been any sharper, he knew she would have drawn blood from him as well. She was running on her instincts, not thoughts, about what she wanted him to do to her. It made him desire to slip into his own instincts and let them take over. He pulled himself back from that edge. He was unsure if she could handle it.

"Don't stop," she begged him as he began to slow down just a little bit. It hurt still, which she did not like, but it felt so good, that she would hate it if he stopped. He might as well have a strong demoness beneath him.

"Fuck it," he swore as he let go, letting his wild demon form out.

She look down at him long enough to notice the change. She was not afraid at all. His mouth went back to her wounded shoulder, enjoying the ecstasy of the taste of her blood mixed with the pleasure of being inside of her. She arched her neck and let out not one, but two beautiful screams as she tightened around him.

As she panted against the aftershocks rocking her body, she had an actual thought about the dislike of him drinking from her, but had no desire to try to stop him as he enjoyed it. He wretched his mouth away from her shoulder and growled hardily against her neck. He could still smell and taste her blood on his tongue and wanted more. It was all he could do to not sink his teeth into the sweet, soft flesh of her neck. She clung to him as he came hard inside of her. He panted as he collapsed himself on top of her, sliding back into his normal, more human looking form.

'Mine,' he thought to himself as he sifted through her mind. This had hurt, but she enjoyed it, drew comfort from it. He wondered if she liked it because there had been times often enough that he had been rough with her and she got used to it, or if she naturally liked it like that. Either way, now she felt satisfied, felt desirable, felt loved. At least physically anyway.

It did not take long for her mind to remember what Mukuro had done to her and the fact that the other woman's death was now imminent. She had already promised herself she would figure out a way to give the 94 years back before Mukuro could die.

He pulled up and away from her, detaching himself from her clinging upper body. She was exposed, but it would not take her too long to get dressed. She reached down to unlock her legs, she winced as she pulled them off of him. Her face was pained.

"Nishi, did I hurt you?" he asked her, not quite finding the answer in her mind.

She shook her head as she straightened her legs out, wincing once more. "My legs. They hurt all over."

He reached his hand to her right knee. She groaned quietly. He laughed under his breath at her reaction. Pinned down and taken like that and her legs are bothered after that. "I pin you down, take you so hard you can't help but scream, bite you, and yet you cry when your legs hurt?" He took his hands to her sides, rubbing them over quickly. She had yet to think to have an issue with being exposed outside. She sighed as he felt her tense muscles relax under his hands. "Better?"

She nodded as he stepped away from her, adjusting his pants. As she sat up, she grabbed her wounded shoulder that was no longer bleeding. The bite did not look as bad as he thought it would be. She rolled over to her right side, covering herself up as modestly as she could as she began to dress herself. He stepped over to assist her, but she gently pushed her hands away. He watched her dress instead. She did not think about anything. She did not want to think about anything.

She was able to get everything on okay, but could not manage to get her obi tied around her waist. She was getting noticeably frustrated with it as she pulled it tighter than it should have been possible around her waist. He stepped up behind her, taking the cloth from her hands. She let go and moved her hands away as their hands touched. He was unsure how to accurately tie it around her waist, but secured it the best he could.

A mischievous thought crossed his mind, trying to break her out of her heavy silence. His hands slid up to the front of her chest and grabbed her. She gasped and then gave a small, hallow laugh. She pushed at his hands, but only with enough force to hint that he should let go. He moved his hands away and brought them down to her ass. She turned around, facing him.

She looked down at him, frowning out of surprise. "You're head band. It was never on?"

He stepped over to her, getting closer. "Nope," he told her. She looked down at him, surprised, but near perfect. "I knew what you felt whole time. You're a bit masochistic."

Her face turned a shade of soft of pink, as if she had no idea how to respond to him. He should have taken her with him to the clan, regretting it now, even though that would have been impossible with two newborns in tow. None of this would have happened. Mukuro would still get to live out the rest of her life. She was cursed to feel the way she felt about him, but he was not cursed to feel the same way. It was private here, just the two of them, to say it here.

As he opened his mouth to speak, he heard a low, gravelly voice shouting her name. "Nanashi!" The oaf's voice. Cutting through the silence and silencing himself all the same. He gritted his teeth as the oaf shouted for her a second time. She shook her head.

The oaf was running, barreling towards them until he was on top of them, literally. Smarter creatures would have stopped running at the sight of a gaping hole in the ground. The oaf fell on top of him and in turn, he fell on top of him. Nishi laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the situation.

The oaf was heavy. "Hey, watch it!" the oaf grumbled as he shoved him off. He staggered back, but remained standing. "Mukuro came back without you. Yukina was so worried, so I went looking for you. I heard you screaming. Are you alright?" Hiei rose off of her as she let loose a trilling laugh. The situation had turned so ridiculous that she could not help but laugh. "So are you okay?"

"She's fine," Hiei answered for her as he pulled her off his cloak on the ground. Lighter than she should be.

"Oh, well... Why was she screaming?" the oaf asked her.

Her wind dragon questioned in her mind if the oaf could be so foolish. "Yes," Hiei replied allowed to it.

"Yes what?" the oaf asked.

"Yes... I'm okay," Nishi said, brushing herself off. She grabbed his cloak and threw it over to him. She went over to the edge of the hole, grabbed the top of it and pulled herself up and out of it gracefully. Hiei tossed her up his cloak and she caught it, holding it carefully to her chest. He climbed out of the hole after her. She passed him back his cloak so he could put it on. His headband followed soon after.

Once the oaf managed to pull himself out of the hole, he asked them an obvious question, "what were you two doing in a hole?"

Nishi bit her lip, trying not to smile. "Training. It's been a while." She let her lip go, face turning back to downcast. "Let's go back... find Mukuro..."


	86. Chapter 86

"There's another way," the human said as she set the book opened down on Mukuro's table in front of her. Her words echoed in the nearly empty library. "You can still live," she said to Mukuro in front of her. "There's two ways I've found in this book could work, but-"

"You need to stop," Mukuro said to her. Yasha shifted uncomfortably, looking at the bookshelf behind himself. The library was quieter than it should have been. "You're growing obsessive and you have other things and people you should be worried about." The human looked weighed down from the weight of Mukuro's words and gaze. She looked down at the book between them, touching the dusty pages forlornly. Mukuro pulled the book away from her, closed it, and pushed it to the edge of the table. "Now give us what I asked you for."

Nanashi looked passed Mukuro at Yasha in a last ditch effort to give him a pleading look, trying to get him to convince Mukuro to look at what she had found. Since the two of them had met at Mukuro's behest, Nanashi had been guarded with him. She did not trust him on instinct. Even though Mukuro had told her she would been fine so long as she kept a formal distance. Hiei's own uncomfortableness about that Mukuro had them meet made only made it worse. Even though she did not trust him, she could tell that he had Mukuro's ear.

"Nanashi," Mukuro said, snapping her fingers.

"Here," Nanashi breathed as she turned back to Mukuro. She handed Mukuro a folder full of paper. "All..." she took a steadying breath. "A-al-all-"

"Spit it out," Mukuro told her as she took the folder from her.

"Forgive me, my lord." Nanashi took another breath. "All the research you asked for. On inheritance laws and expectations in the Demon World."

Mukuro opened the folder to leaf through the papers handed her. "The books from this are cited should I need to see them for myself?"

"Yes my lord," she replied.

"Pass those here too, just in case."

As the human did so, she said, "later today, after-"

"After what?" Mukuro cut her off. Nanashi had looked down at the book previously shoved aside. "Drop it girl. Focus on your future."

"Yes my lord," she replied hollowly.

Mukuro looked up and down at Nanashi curiously. "You've taken up drinking your tea again?"

Nanashi flushed at the question and its implied personal and intimate nature. "How-"

"I can smell it on you," she said. "Rather familiar smell on you." the human brought her fist to her mouth nervously. "If I can notice, then so can someone else," she implied.

Nanashi glanced back over to Yasha awkwardly. He took the moment to pretend to be interested in the books behind him once more. "It's... hardly needed... anyway..." The words sounded heavy as she spoke.

"Little is known about half bred children between a demon and a human. For it is such a rare type matehood." Nanashi seemed to squirm a little at what Mukuro said. "Another daughter perhaps?"

"I I eh-" she stuttered. "Two are surely enough..."

"For now," Mukuro responded. "In a year's time, you may change your mind. In this world, when men claim power easily, they struggle to hold it and boast on how they got it. When women take power, they do best to be quiet about it. Hold it quietly and humbly to keep it. Even if it means letting men think they hold all the power." She nodded over to Yasha. "Take a look at his older sister in her clan." Yasha looked back over at the two of them in this conversation. "Her mate is the hereditary leader of that warrior clan, but she's the real power behind the throne. After all these years, he still struggles to make a decision without her holding his hand."

Nanashi said nothing, blinking up at Mukuro. Mukuro took the papers and some of the books. Yasha picked up the rest of the books. He nodded to Nanashi to say goodbye. With that, she and Yasha were on their way to her presence chambers. Kirin and Hiei were already there waiting. The four of them knew the current situation and that they had little time left to figure out who should be her heir before it was too late. Not having a child or any living family member made things complicated a little complicated for her. Yasha did not really understand it sense he just assumed she would name Kirin her heir and let that be that. Her large council would accept him without qualms.

Mukuro set down at the table laid out the papers and her books before them. Yasha set the rest of them down before them.

"Get to reading," she told the lot of them as she started with the paper Nanashi had written.

Yasha frowned at the stack of books in distaste. "Can't we just read the paper? Nanashi already did all the research. Wrote it up and everything."

Mukuro had begun to read the paper first. "To check to make sure she made no mistakes and that she kept her opinion out of it."

"What opinion could a human possibly have over demon laws?" Yasha grumbled as he pulled the nearest book over to himself. It was dull and boring by the time he got through the parts Nanashi had marked. None of it interested himself as he found he could not focus on what he read. He had no clue if she did a good or bad job with her research. Once he got the paper in hand, it did make a little bit more sense compared to what he had read.

The others read along in long stretches of silence. When they were finished, Mukuro broke the silence. "So it is clear, I can name any heir to my lands, even if there is a current reigning king. But he will need to have knowledge and be all but permissive in the matter." She did not seem too keen about the king getting to have his hand in it.

"Who are you planning to name as your heir?" Kirin asked her once they were all finished reading.

Yasha laid his head down on the table groggily. 'It's you. Do you even have to ask?'

"If I can have my way, it will be someone who has proven strong," Mukuro responded.

Yasha stretched his arms up. "So I guess you're naming that Katsura boy? He just finished up in your fighting pit. Survived, much to our surprise."

Mukuro looked over at him like he was crazed. "No, I put him on the large council. That's enough for him. He's cocky and power hungry, but can make his way politically if he is focused. He talks of wanting to be king once day."

"Speaking of the large council, you will have to tell them who your heir is. Whoever you may decide," Kirin informed her.

"Call them this evening," she said. "After dinner. And we'll settle this matter."

Yasha laid his head back down on the table and groaned at the very thought. "Tell us who you're naming," he grumbled out. Had to be Kirin, but he disliked the surprise.

"I will," she said as she stood up, dismissing herself. "Tonight. Send for the large council, including Katsura, to meet tonight at dinner." She looked right over at Yasha as she added, "do be sure not to tell them of what will happen in a few weeks."

Yasha groaned at the words and dreaded the night's new plans. The red headed demon, the poor substitute, he had persuaded to come back to his bed would not like to be canceled on like this so suddenly.

Yasha's wandering mind snapped back as Mukuro kept talking, this time to Hiei. "Make sure you spend more time with your mate. I told you not let her feel lonely. She's beginning to feel that way." When he opened his mouth to speak, she spoke before her could. "You're dismissed for today until this evening. Tell your mate she is too. Spend it how you like, so long as you spend it with her."

Yasha felt jealous as Hiei got the time off, but he did not. Hardly anytime to excuse himself from the red head with a quick letter.

After dinner, Mukuro brought together her small council with her rarely called large council. Ten other demons, eight male, two others female, settled in the large meeting room. Katsura looked tired, uncomfortable himself as he was the youngest and newest demon in the room. He had been given Manabu's old spot on the council sent he proved strong enough to take it. As Yasha settled himself down in his spot on the right side of Mukuro, he puzzled over why Mukuro had given the spot to Katsura instead of Nanashi. but then again, Katsura had proven he was strong without her being told to see him like that. Maybe a mix of free will in with spite.

Yasha sat down, waiting patiently as the room filled up around them. Hiei had slipped in last, looking himself a little bit flustered and rushed. Mukuro watched him with a slight smirk as he took his seat by Mukuro's left side.

Yasha heard her whisper to him quietly, "all day?"

"Like you asked," he responded.

"Doing...?"

His nose twitched at the question. "In the nursery and later sparring."

"Sparring?" she asked, glancing down at him.

"She needs to build her strength back up," he explained.

Mukuro sighed stiffly. "Small hope that we will have an early night then so you can be with her again soon."

"Just name your heir and be done with it," he gripped. How his mate handle him when he had a short temper was a mystery.

She stood up, speaking loudly, addressing the large council, informing the that in case something were to happen, that she wished to name an heir to her territory of the Demon World. She cited that Yomi had his clone Shura as his heir. The late rival king Reizen had named Yusuke. Both had been descendants of the king who named them. She also cited much of the research Nanashi had done for her.

"... I on the other hand, do not have a descendant..."

'Cannot have a descendant,' Yasha thought to himself.

"... nor a mate..."

'A false, abusive mate who was currently locked away from sight,' Yasha thought.

"... so if there were something to happen, I'd rather not die in the fear of this territory being torn apart and delve into conflict and war..."

'Didn't care when you took over all the outlying territories and claimed them as your own.'

"... So I in this vein, I've decided to name my heir for your approval..."

'You'd name him anyway even if they did not approve,' Yasha thought as he wondered why she seemed to care about winning the large council over. Any demon she named would likely be accepted. Especially since it was probably going to be Kirin as he was not exiled and did not have a human mate or cross bred children. Yasha knew six of them here were not fans of the new 'human loving king.'

"...Nanashi Urameshi, my current head librarian."

The silence settled over the room for one heavy second. Yasha studied her, wondering what she was thinking, guilt that it might be over his order to see Nanashi as strong. She did say she wanted an heir who was strong... And if she was going to name a human as an heir, she would have to have the large council approve, lest they tear down the human and rebel themselves at the idea of being ruled under a human. Yasha looked over at Hiei, who was staring at Mukuro too in disbelief.

"What, isn't that a human?" Katsura said, breaking the silence. Eventually he would need to learn tack to be on this large council.

"There's nothing that says I can't," Mukuro replied. "No law, no research, no customs that would deny me my choice of heir. And I want to name a strong woman, be she human or demon, as my heir. With a female line of succession to be established after her."

And then the arguments ensued... Hours of them. Seven of the large council were adamantly against it. Refusing to have a human ruler, considering the fact that Reizen's heir was part human as well. Three were undecided. The small council obviously approved. Hiei was not about to argue against his mate's ascension, not matter how shocking and unexpected it was. Kirin was too loyal to speak against anything Mukuro wanted; the sycophant.

As Yasha watched the talking and the arguing carefully, listening for both what was said and what was not being said, he realized this was not going to work. Mukuro could do as she wish whether the council accepted her choice of Nanashi as her heir or not. But the second she was dead and Nanashi tried to take her place, by the sounds of it, a member or two here would not be above assassination. That could escalate into a nightmare's worth of drama from there what with Hiei, the cross bred cousin, and the human loving king. Not to mention the Spirit World prince and other Human World allies. The council needed convinced to side with her instead of contemplating killing her, which by the sounds of it would be impossible. There needed to be a compromise because Mukuro's plan was not going to work at all.

Once Mukuro had said another argument, Yasha took the chance to speak up. "Would you stop," he said to her directly and with intentional rudeness. That silenced the room, training all eyes on him. Good. "You talk as if you think someone of this world can lead in it one day." Mukuro watched him, lips pressed tight together. "She's nothing like her cousin. There's not a drop of demon blood in her veins." Set up. "She's a full bred human with no demon ancestors. I would be okay with this if she were mixed too, but she's not. Do you have any idea how long a full bred human is meant to live? Surely at your age, you should still outlive her if you're careful and cautious enough instead of trying to be so reckless." He had all their undivided attention now. Mukuro looked livid. "If you want an heir so bad, name a demon. Name someone with demon blood and demon ancestry. You want a female heir, then name a demoness." He paused for effect, sensing his ploy could work. "Name Hiei's daughter: Hikari." He kept speaking before anyone could jump in. "She's a demon. A fire demon. He's a full demon," he said as he pointed at Hiei.

One of the demons who was most adamant against naming Nanashi as an heir spoke up. "She's a half breed."

Yasha countered, "more so than Reizen's heir. She's half demon yes, but that has to be what, ten, fifty times more the demon than Yusuke." He raised his hands up nonchalantly. "Born to a full bred demon father. She'll be raised in the Demon World. One day she can find herself a demon mate. And have a bunch of daughters after that."

"She's an infant," another argued. "An infant can die easily."

Yasha made a calculated laugh. "You ever see her? Go to the nursery after this and hear that child scream when she wants something. She's already learned how to hit and burn others. That's the last child I would see die of an illness. She'd rage and fight to live through it, hell or high water." He counted to five and no one argued or spoke. He made the last argument he thought could be countered. "A child like that is going to grow up strong. She's the child of an S class demon. She'll rival half the Demon World in power before she's old enough to her own daughter."

No one spoke as he finished his speech. No one liked to compromise in politics. Some did not seem to even know how to do it. Mukuro wanted Nanashi as her heir, but this was not going to be possible, so Yasha suggested the next closest option. Hikari was the best compromise out there.

"Any objections to my naming Hikari as my heir?" Mukuro asked, looking around the room.

More arguments spiraled out, but none that Yasha could see that would dislodge his suggestion. Once Mukuro took it to a vote, it passed nine to four, with the condition that Hiei agree to at least try to have another daughter should something happen to Hikari. He agreed to that reluctantly, even though he tried to argue that he could not make that decision without his mate.

Even though it was so late in the night, the small council met after the large council met. As soon as the four of them were alone in Mukuro's presence chamber, Hiei was speaking first, "why?" This question was directed at Mukuro.

Mukuro had sat down at her table, leafing through the books Nanashi had given them on Demon World inheritance rules and customs. "She's strong. And clever. For a human. She'll be able to hold her own with the large council once they get to know her."

Kirin spoke next, "why? Is Yasha going to order them all that she is strong too?"

Yasha gave a crude laugh at the low jab. "Great Mother, no. Sometimes the strain of keeping her from smacking me upside the head is a drain on my energy." He said in jovially, but it had been a problem before when she tried to rebel. The conclusion left her screaming and it took him days to recover the energy from it.

Mukuro shook her head, half in disagreement, half in trying to clear it out to think. As she did that, Yasha felt a tug on his energy. "She's strong... They'd see it eventually."

"If they didn't kill her first," Yasha said.

"Why did you suggest Hikari instead?" Mukuro directed at Yasha. "You under-minded my authority them."

His breathing grew a little bit quicker. "Because six of them would never have accepted Nanashi's leadership after you pass away. She's nothing to them. A human. Hardly been in the Demon World for a while. Haven't ruled over them for countless decades like yourself. Three of them would kill her before she had a chance to try."

"I'd never let that happen," Hiei argued.

"They would see she's strong," Mukuro said on repeat. She brought her hand up to her forehead, rubbing in absentmindedly.

"They'll give Hikari more of a chance and they accepted her on the premise that she is part demon," Yasha said. He sighed sleepily, feeling worn out from this long day. "Years more since she's so young yet. Besides, she'd inherit after Nanashi anyway, so what does it matter that we skip over Nanashi. You'll still get your fancy female line of ascension from her."

"Because Nanashi has proven she's strong," Mukuro countered with an ill concealed temper. She was struggling not to be snappy with Yasha when she wanted to. "So a female line from her makes since."

Yasha felt so groggy that he had a short temper himself. "Yes, alright," he snapped openly at her. "I agree. Nanashi's strong," he sneered. "But you'll hardly have the time to prove that to the large council in time. And get passed the full bred human problem. They see her as inferior. The only way this could work is if I ordered them to like her and I have barely enough energy right now to deal with you." His muscles felt drained as he spoke. He tiredly leaned against the table near where she sat.

Mukuro pushed her chair back noisily from the table, bent over, and grabbed her head. "But she's strong..." she wheezed out.

Kirin had stepped over to her and knelt before her. He sighed heavily. "Yes, you're right, yes, she is," he said through his teeth. He gave a cutting, side long glance at Yasha. "You need to accept you are right before you weaken Yasha in the process."

"You say that like it's not a bad thing," Yasha commented on Kirin's words and tone. Yasha felt a considerable pull on his energy, coming from Mukuro. This was not the first time. She was trying fight against his orders. His body had to exert more energy to keep her in control. He slipped from his leaning position on the table and fell to the floor in a heap. "She's strong, you're right," he panted out. "But you'll never get the large council to agree in time." He looked up at Hiei standing, watching the scene with a poker face. "You agree, don't you?" he panted out. "Mukuro is right... You're mate is strong..."

Hiei looked between Yasha and Mukuro and Kirin. "Agree with her," Kirin pleaded softly. He spoke to Mukuro but explained to Hiei, "sometimes Yasha's orders mentally unhinge you. You rail against him between what you want to think and believe and what he has told you to think and believe. Don't let this drive you mad. You drain his energy when your mind tries to rebel against him. But you can't try to outlast him because you can't kill him. This will only end with one or both of you passing out. Last time it was you." Kirin looked over to Hiei and nodded.

"Nanashi's strong," Hiei whispered as he watched Kirin manage to talk Mukuro down.

After a few terse moments, Yasha felt a release within himself as Mukuro sat up straight in her chair. Kirin stood up and stepped away from her as Mukuro pushed her chair back further.

From his position on the ground, Yasha saw Mukuro sudden looked very calm and composed. "Very well," she said with a hollow calmness. "Hikari will be my heir as I haven't the time to demonstrate to the large council just how strong Nanashi is."


	87. Chapter 87

Worn out from the long day and the late night meetings with the large council and small council, Hiei trudged himself up to his rooms shared with Nishi; not wanting to think how flipped on its head everything had become since he saw her last. Mukuro tried and failed to make Nishi her heiress. Yasha found the compromise with name his girl her heiress. But with the demand he and Nishi had another daughter as a secondary heiress...

All this was Yasha's doing; through orders or masterful debate skills.

As he entered their bedroom, he noticed Nishi was fast asleep on her side of their newer and bigger bed with one arm reaching over to his side. As he slipped into bed next to her, he raised her arm up, trying not to wake her. He was unsuccessful though as she pulled her arm back and opened her eyes, blinking up at him sleepily. Usually she slept harder than this. He nearly told her to go back to sleep when the thought of the demand for a second daughter. Better to have one sooner rather than later.

Hoping to find the desire for this soon, he reached over to her and tugged her until she was on top of him. He brought his hand up to her face and pulled it down until it was lined up with his. He kissed her lazily, hoping she would would take control. If she wanted him bad enough in the moment, she would do what she wanted. Yet she seemed to be hoping for the same thing as she stay still, waiting for him to take the lead.

He gruffed under his breath. She looked down at him in sleepy curiosity. He shook his head up at her. She gave him a patient smile. Next, she leaned her head down and planted a soft kiss between his eyes.

"Mine," she whispered patiently down to him. The way she said it was divine.

"Mine," he echoed softly right back at her. She brought one loose fist up to her mouth as her face turned a light shade of pink.


	88. Chapter 88

Small favors that Yasha had not been in the room when Mukuro died, when her body reached the end of its life span and she just dropped. Must have been hard to watch. Hiei had watched it and shared about it. The king had been there and watched it, not expecting to see anything like that. Nanashi's body had tried to go with her due to the life span transference and Hiei had to snap her out of it. Kirin had silently raged over it. Yasha had wished he could have released her from his control, but knew he never would have considering she would have killed him soon as look at him.

Later on, after everything was done and his mate had recovered, Hiei had summoned Yasha with him into the frightful cave near the castle where Mukuro kept her fake mate, fake father for storage when she herself did not wish to torment him. The sight of the fake one made him cringe, twisted and entrapped around a plant from that attractive fox demon turned human. Hiei made him watch as he set a hell dragon upon the fake one and heard him the nightmarishly pained screams. The sight and sound was so terrifying that he fled the cave and out into the open and more peaceful forest. The almost silence was almost wonderful, as if it never noticed anything was amiss; birds chirping and the soft wind blowing through the trees.

Hiei came out of the cave soon after, walking calmly in spite of what he had just done. He walked up to him and warned him, "if you ever mean to touch myself, Nananshi, my children, or anyone else I know, I'll do the same to you that I just did to him." He gave a big yawn after his speech and shook his head sleepily.

The threat was terrifying in and of itself because he knew he would do it. "Very, hmm, very well," Yasha tried to play it off nonchalantly. "I'll hold you to it." Out of the desire to distance himself from a man who could doom another to burn forever. A man who could fall in love with a human blessed to love him that could turn around and do that to a man he hated. "Now, if you will excuse me, I should like for some peace and alone time. Maybe you ought to seek out your mate. She usually knows how to calm you down." Hopefully she will make him less vengeful. She would be more influential now on him with Mukuro gone.

Yasha walked away briskly after that, craving distance and to be alone. He made sure not to run and not to think too much lest Hiei read his mind. He walked, not knowing how long, but maintained to keep the castle within eyesight just in case. In his walking, he happened upon Nanashi, walking with Midori, a kitchen worker he recalled once questioning her for information. He paused so they would not see him. He recalled flirting with Midori to get information from her about Nanashi when Mukuro wanted it. Easy thing to do with the girl who was half fool.

"How much farther to that bush?" Midori asked as Nanashi shifted a large basket on her hip.

"Just over that hill over there," Nanashi told her easily. "If we can manage to dig it up without destroying the roots, then the kitchens can use the berries from this bush for years to come."

The women walked off as Yasha stayed rooted where he was. Finding a nearby tree with a large trunk, he leaned against it comfortably as he slid down to the ground in a slump roost. He leaned his head back on the trunk and closed his eyes. He missed Mukuro... Even if he had to control her to keep himself alive. He regretted telling her to see Nanashi as strong, but could not bring himself to regret saving her life. Hard lines. At least having a chance to alone in this time was nice..

He sensed another person coming near. Just one. So much for a little peace and quiet. He opened his eyes and stood up lazily. He looked over at the figure drawing near, making out Kirin's silhouette.

"What do you want?" Yasha called out to Kirin's approaching figure distastefully. Mukuro's most loyal subject and the man who once was meant to be her heir. Yasha did not feel he had the energy to deal with him at the moment.

He took his eyes off of Kirin, pulling his braid back over his shoulder and into his line of sight. It was not as long as the human's, but long nevertheless. Hers had a richer blackness and healthier shine too, the lucky one. Even if he could not go home, he could still wear his hair like a warrior. He wondered how hers would look braided back in one braid or two...

In his wondering, he half noticed Kirin had closed the distance between them. He stood a little too close for comfort. He disliked the closeness. "I said what do you want?" Yasha snapped at him.

Without saying a word, Kirin reached over and grabbed Yasha half way down his braid, yanking his head back, and pulling what felt like a knife to his neck. He froze, not sure what to do or say to save his skin.

"You're the reason she's dead," Kirin hissed under his breath. "Have you anything to say for yourself?"

Yasha breathed carefully, trying to think what he could think or say in this moment to keep the dagger from going across his throat. "You won't do it. You won't be able to hide this from Hiei," he said calmly. "Do it and he won't trust you near his mate. She'll become the only one who can council him."

Kirin gave an annoyed sigh as slipped the dagger away from Yasha's neck, but kept the firm grip on his braid. He gave the braid a painful yank and a twist right before right before pinning his front to the tree. His knee came up behind his knee and pinned his leg to the tree. The arm with the hand that held the braid also met his elbow to the small of his back.

"What are you doing?" Yasha breathed at him, not sure still where the dagger went. He could feel Kirin shift his braid in his hand to just above the hair tie that held the braid together.

"Your clan sees your hair as a symbol of your strength," he heard Kirin comment, trying to steady his breathing.

Yasha felt a strong dislike for him handling his hair like this. Only a lover should touch it so openly. He heard the slice that cut just above his hair tie before he felt the bottom half of his hair grow looser.

"Stop this now," Yasha his under his breath as he felt Kirin bring his hand up a little higher on the loose braid. One inch or two might go amiss, but anymore than that had to be noticeable.

"Very well then," he said, letting his hair go pushing his forearm into his back hard. He must have set the dagger into this hand because his other hand came up to Yasha's right gloved hand and pinned it to the tree above his head. He moved his arm from Yasha's back, but leaned his weight heavily against him so he could not move away. "Only the two of us will know what a coward you are." His words were intentionally biting. Yasha then felt the unseen dagger come to rest at the base of his hand, biting down on his wrist sharply. "But no one else will be able to be cursed by you again."

"Don't-" Yasha began.

"Why not?" Kirin interrupted him. "The only person who would have stopped me is dead because of you. And Mukuro would only defend you because you told her to, but because she wanted to. There's no one else here who would grieve for you being maimed. No one on the large council, nor Hiei."

Yasha glanced up at blade resting on his wrist. He knew Kirin well enough know if he thought it was the right move, then he would cut him until the deed was done. Yasha closed his eyes, not wanting to see it happen. Surely a wound like that could be perilous.

"Damn them," he heard Kirin swear under his breath. "Keep quiet."

Yasha opened his eyes one at time, wondering what was staying Kirin's hand. Then he sensed them, Great Mother bless them. One stronger energy and one barely there energy. "Oh Hiei," he moaned loudly and falsely, hoping they heard him and would come investigate.

One did, the strong one moving much faster than the weak one. The strong one towards them and the weak one away from them. He turned his head enough in time to see Nanashi emerge from the woods. She skidded to a halt at the sight of the two of them.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked watching the two of them warily.

Kirin turned his head, looking sourly over at the human who was studying them carefully. "Of course you're here, you cursed creature," Kirin swore at her. Kirin still held Yasha fast against the tree with the dagger at his wrist.

Yasha could see Nanashi scowl at Kirin's words to her. "Let him go," Nanashi order Kirin. Kirin did not budge. "I said let him go," she repeated as her wind dragon came up along her neck. The wind rustled through her hair as it did. If Yasha could have risked a laugh, he would have. Kirin had just set him against her with his actions towards him and his words towards her. Risky thing to do for once her mind was set, she would not be moved.

"Run along, this does not concern you," Kirin ordered her.

Yasha saw a chance to speak and took it. "Yes, run along and tell your mate what you see here. There's no way you can misconstrue what you're seeing right now."

"Midori is already off fetching him," Nanashi said unsteadily.

Kirin swore a second time as he stepped away from Yasha. Yasha breathed a heavy sigh of relief, keeping still and near the tree. Kirin grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him down to the ground in distaste.

"Step away from him," she ordered steadily as she stepped closer to the two of them.

"Seems like you've found another woman to do your bidding," Kirin swore down at Yasha. He turned back to the human who stopped a mere few feet away from them.

She looked nervous as she said, "don't touch him again."

Kirin turned to face her, but side stepped away from Yasha; just out of a quick reach. She look apprehensive as her dragon slithered down her arm and took on the form of an axe.

"You would challenge me?" he asked her directly. "To protect him?" Nanashi's mouth twitched a little bit, but did not speak. "If you really knew him, you would hold him down for me." She kept her eyes on him, watching him steadily, as if unwilling to blink first. Kirin looked down back at him in disgust. "As you wish my lady's mother," he sneered at the human. She winced slightly at the title he used for her.

He turned away, stepping away from Yasha and Nanashi as he made his exit, walking through the trees, bristling.

Once he was out of sight, the human called away her dragon and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Her hands came up to her face and took a steadying breath. "What was that?" she asked Yasha softly as he stood up.

"A good number of years worth of grudges," he said. "Now, shall I escort you back to the castle?" he asked as quickly shook his slighter shorter hair loose to hang down and across his shoulders. He hastily rebraided it, fetching the hair tie on the ground and twisting it back around the end of his hair.

She watched him wearily as she nodded slowly. She turned away from him and walked away. He hurried after her, not wanting to be too far from her should Kirin reappear.

She stopped short, leaning down before a large basket that contained a small bush with black and deep purple berries on it. She was carefully checking over the dirt and roots about the bottom of the plant.

"What have you here?" he asked standing near her.

She seemed cold all of a sudden as she picked up the basket. "A bush I mean to transplant. If it's done right, it will be fruitful for years."

"Allow me, my lady," he said as he pulled the basket from her hands.

She watched him carefully as he took the basket and carried it in his arms carefully. "Don't bend the roots," she said stiffly.

"Sounds as if you do not wish to bend," he said.

She stepped away from him and walked towards the castle. "Why..." she began. "Why does Kirin hate you so much?"

He stepped closer to her and she side stepped a little further from her. "I am someone else she favored. Only natural that he would let his jealousy out now that she's gone."

The air around her grew heavy with a quiet sadness. "Do you miss her... too?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he told her honestly.

They were quiet for a few minutes. Yasha waited for her to speak first. Finally she spoke softly, "do you plan to go home now?"

He looked down at her confused. "What?"

"You had said you were sent by your people to serve Mukuro. So will you go back now that she is gone?"

"No," he said. "I think it would be in my best interest to stay," he said slyly. She watched him cautiously. "If you and your mate would be alright with that. I know your mate will be."

She nodded thoughtfully. They were nearing the castle. "Here, this bush needs to be back here. By the kitchens." As she went in the direction, he followed her. "Set the basket down gently so as not to snap the roots," she instructed as she knelt on her knees besides a freshly dug hole in the ground. "Midori and I dug this earlier," she stopped and frowned. "I told her to come straight here and wait for me." She stood up and looked around the young demoness. She closed her eyes, trying to sense where she was.

"I thought you said you sent her after Hiei?" he commented.

"I hadn't the time to think to tell her to do that," she responded. "Ah, she's in one of the other gardens. Shouldn't her long to find her way here. But as for my lie, I figure it would work to keep Kirin at bay. I'd rather not fight him. Hiei cautioned against that." She paused. "He also cautioned me against being alone with you..."

"Midori will be along soon enough," he said easily, hoping to make her less nervous. "You shall not be alone for long."

She picked up the bush very carefully and set it down in the dug hole. She began to throw dirt over it, pausing brush her long hair behind her shoulders. Even though it had remnants and sweat in it, he felt jealous over how think it was compared to his. He felt the temptation rise up to touch it.

"You ought put your hair up. Braid it back. It is too hot out here to wear it otherwise," he commented to her. He reached over to her and pulled her hair back with his gloved hands.

She jumped and turned away from him as her wind dragon was around her neck in a flash and hissing. "Don't touch me," she said, raising her hand up protectively.

"I'm sorry my lady," he said as he stepped away from her. "I meant you no harm."

"Why do you always wear gloves?" she asked eyeing his hands as the wind dragon disappeared from sight. "I've never seen you without them."

"An inflection I have. Since I was born. Makes others rather uncomfortable to look upon it. So I keep my hands covered for all our sakes. Life is easier in someways that way." She looked at him like she did not quite believe him. She kept an eye on him as she pulled her together and over her right shoulder and hastily and messily braided it back. "Much better," he commented. "Makes you look strong."


	89. Chapter 89

As Hiei walked towards the nursery, the words echoed in his head from the head councilor of the large council, 'fetch the child.' It was said to a servant, but Hiei acted to go on his on in case his girl screamed. He walked like he was a simple nurse maid instead lord protector until his girl comes of age.

When he entered the nursery, he saw the nurses Mukuro had hired for them before her death about. Nishi was there too, holding her boy steadily as she sat on the floor with him, having finished nursing him with a finished bottle. She seemed more than content to be there as she was. Nishi raised her head up to look up at him as he came in, mouth slightly parted. He nodded down at her, liking the look of her in her simplicity. She smiled up at him sweetly.

Another nurse sat nearby her rocking his girl in his arms. He stepped over to the nurse and carefully took his girl to his arms. "The large council has requested to see her since this is the first time they are meeting since Mukuro's death," he said bluntly.

"My lord," the nurse maid spoke as she passed his girl over to him. "She will be tired. She just finished feeding. She will not be happy to be denied rest."

"It won't be long," he said, as his girl was warm with sleepiness. This was precarious. His girl was not above screaming when she was discontent. Nor heating up her hands hotly. Neither would do in front of the council.

Nishi had passed her boy onto the nurse who had been holding his girl carefully and took his girl from his hands. "I'll take her," she stated confidently. "I can keep her calm before she means to cry out. Besides, I've been wanting to meet that council anyway." She bade good bye to her boy with a kiss on his head and said goodbye to the nurses before she stepped out of the room with his girl.

Hiei followed after her, a little surprised at her boldness. He did not like her idea, but was unsure how to desist her in it. She slowed down for him until he was in with her. He stopped her arm. "You don't need to take her," he told her. The council did not want to meet Nishi. Had been adamant about that because she was human. "I can take her."

"No," she said, holding his girl closer to her chest as she continued to walk confidently. "Hikari is half human, so they need to accept that I am full human," she said distastefully. She stopped walking suddenly. "Hold her, but do give her back please," she requested.

He held his girl whose head bobbed sleepily on his shoulder. This had to be quick or else it would badly since tension were high. She was aware enough to sense it. He watched as Nishi quickly pulled her hair over her shoulder and braided it to the end.

"Why are you wearing your hair that way?" he asked her as he passed his girl back to Nishi. It was odd to see it that way. His girl fussed slightly at the exchange, but readily rested her head on her shoulder and neck, tiny hand coming up to cling to Nishi's shirt collar. Small favors that she did not heat her hand up. It meant she was not annoyed. They resumed walking, this time not stopping for anything.

"Because I'll look strong," she whispered.

"Who told you that?" he asked. Kind of an odd concept to him.

She hummed under her breath. "Yasha," she answered simply.

"When?" he asked tightly.

"When we were alone last," she said.

"When was that?" he wondered if it was same as the last time she spoke of seeing him.

"When we planted the bush in one of the gardens," she said tiredly.

"Have you been alone with him since then?"

"No," she answered quickly, clearly annoyed at the question. "I know you like him, but I don't like him very much. I would have preferred Kirin stayed and Yasha left to serve King Enki in Alaric's place," she grumbled. "I felt Kirin was more trustworthy. More loyal. But I guess there's too much bad blood between them."

"Years worth," he commented. He stopped her with a hand on her arm. "We're here," he said at the door. He reached over to the door and opened it for Nishi and his girl.

"Wait," she said as she stayed his hand. Very carefully, so as not to disturb his girl, she bent down and planted a brief, soft, and sweet kiss on his mouth. She pulled her hand away from him and nodded. He held the door open for her to walk through.

Nishi stepped through the door with a fake air of confidence as she held his girl close to her chest. As she walked through the door, the whole large council minus the cocky one stood up immediately, looking over at Nishi and his girl. All of them minus the stranger had their energies up at the sight of Nishi for intimidation. One of the councilors, a tall, female demon with deep purple skin and small insect wings on her back, sitting next to the cocky one smacked him hard on the chest and shoulder with the back of her hand.

"What the fuck woman?!" the cocky one exclaimed up at the female councilor. His shout crackled through the harsh tension in the air.

"Stand up before her," the female councilor hissed at him as she nodded towards Nishi.

The cocky one gruffed under his breath as stood up. "Who cares? She's a baby," he muttered.

Nishi stood still, looking unsure what to do. "Sit with her," Hiei whispered up to her as he guided her by the elbow towards the head of the table. If they saw it as a slight, it would look like his doing, not hers. Nishi sat down uncomfortably in the chair. He noticed she was holding her breath as she looked over the council. He stayed near her in support. The rest of demons sat back down as Nishi did.

"I believe we requested to see the infant, not the human," the female councilor spoke simply. Nishi scowled at her, but did not respond.

"And now you've seen her," Hiei said. His girl was sleeping with her head resting against the crook of Nishi's neck. Her hand held fast to Nishi's shirt collar. "And I warned you she'd be tired."

The female councilor leaned forward to get a closer look at her. She looked up at Nishi's face, studying it carefully. From Hiei's vantage point right next to her, he could see her legs quiver, but her upper body stayed still. The female councilor looked then over at Hiei's face. "I want to see Hikari's eyes," she requested. "Wake her up."

Nishi's mouth twitched at the request. She looked over to Hiei, nonverbally asking him what to do. He gave the briefest sigh and nodded.

Nishi's wind dragon came up to her neck and it curled around his girl's face, gently trying to wake her up. His girl opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. She smacked her tiny hand at the wind dragon and gave a short whine. Thankfully she was not screaming. Doubly thankfully the wind dragon did not retaliate against her for her strike. She looked up at the councilors with a face that was a full on pout. She whined again and then threw her head down on Nishi's neck with another short whine. Nishi pulled her close, looking slightly relieved. Her free hand came up to his girl's hair and she stroked it softly. Nishi still was not breathing and her legs continued to shake.

"There, she has eyes. Red ones. Now, please excuse me, Hikari needs to rest," Nishi rushed out as she stood up. The rest of the council stood up after her with the female councilor pulling the disgruntled cocky one up with her. Nishi nodded her head towards them the best she could before she quickly stepped over to the door.

"Wait," the female councilor said, catching up to her.

Nishi stopped and turned around to face the female councilor head on. She paled at the sight of her up close. The energy rolled off of her in waves and she succeeded in intimidating Nishi by the looks of it. The female councilor was at least a head taller than she was. The female councilor's clawed hand came down to Nishi's chin, arcing her neck up towards her. It was a displeasing sight to see her being touched by another so openly. Nishi did not move, be it in fear of the demoness before her or the desire to not wake his girl up. Hiei was not sure what to do. Nishi met the female councilor's eyes. Nishi's mouth and nose twitched as the female councilor forced her to turn her head away from Hikari.

"Let her go Cho," Yasha called over from his seat. "She's a human not a horse. But if she were a horse, I would advise you to open her mouth and check her teeth thoroughly."

"Where's your neck bite?" the female councilor asked Nishi while she ignored Yasha completely.

"This side," Nishi said as she turned her head carefully to opposite direction of where the bite was on her neck.

"I see," the female councilor said, studying her neck intently. Her hand was inching down towards the bite mark.

"Don't touch it," Hiei said, feeling a rise coming up out of himself. The female councilor's hand was quick to return to Nishi's chin.

"Can we see if the other two bites are there as well?" the cocky one called out, smirking giddily as he said it.

"Mine," Hiei hissed at him without even thinking about it. He felt a hatred for that demon blooming.

Nishi looked over to where the cocky one's voice had sounded, her red face scowling in a similar manner to how his girl looked when she pouted. "If you want to test if our matehood is real or not, then kiss me," she spat at the female councilor. "You can judge based on how I writhe on the floor before Hiei kisses me. Or maybe I'll die before he gets to me."

"That won't be necessary," the female councilor said down to her. "Hikari looks a lot like Hiei. Same eyes, same black hair interspersed with hints of dark blue. She must be his child."

Nishi scowled at her. "If I wasn't holding her right now..." Nishi hinted out the threat.

The female councilor looked unphased by Nishi's words. "And this human must be Hiei's mate based on his use of a possessive for her," she said with a matter of fact tone. "A reaction like that can't be faked."

With a rude shake, the female councilor let Nishi's chin go. Nishi stood stock still, holding his girl close to her chest protectively. She rested her mouth carefully on the top of his girl's head. Her face was a full on scowl, redder than his girl's eyes.

"My lady," the stranger called over to her in a light tone. Nishi looked over to him cautiously. "You seem to be filling out a bit recently. Might we be expecting a happy announcement sometime soon?" he asked her. Nishi frowned at him, but her face twitched with the temptation to smile. If she were pregnant already, everyone in the room would have been able to sense it. She shook her head. He gave her a teasing smile as he nodded his head to her respectfully. "Soon I'm sure," he said easily.

His girl twitched in her arms, hinting she would need to go lay down soon. Her hand snaked up to Nishi's collar, gripping it tightly.

Hiei stepped up over to Nishi, hand coming back to her elbow. He looked up at her, not sure what to do. He could see it in her eyes she was upset by the female councilor's actions and words. He thought quickly, making an action he thought the fox might have done. He took Nishi's hand that was not needed to hold his girl up and pulled it over to his mouth and kissed her palm submissively. His mouth lingered on her palm, giving into the temptation to give her thumb a quick and playful nip. He gave her a sultry look as he let her hand go. She did not even crack a smile. He stepped around her and opened the door for her. She stepped through the door, using her leg to bump it shut.

As the door shut, Hiei felt the desire to open the door and follow after her. He put his hand on the door for a longing moment before dropping it. He turned back around and return to the head of the table. He felt a strong desire to burn the cocky one and the female councilor where they sat.

The hours, too many of them, passed until dinner. The large council themselves had decided to extend their 'visit' to an until further notice situation. He was more than ready to leave that room and be away from all of them, or at least at a physical distance. Nishi was there in the dining hall, thankfully, seated to the left of the head chair. One sight of her tired face shown that she had been crying if someone knew her well enough. The stranger was there with her, leaning down near her, talking to her. He must have said something about her hair because she had reached up and was stroking her braid.

As Hiei drew near them, the stranger stood up straight and nodded his head and greeted him. Once everyone was seated and the meal was served, Hiei observed that Nishi was quiet as mouse and merely picked at her food and slightly sipped at her drink. He could tell, and likely so could she, some of the council members were watching her.

The stranger had mimicked her eating happens as well. "This meal is abhorrent tonight," the stranger gripped a little too loudly. "Anyone who eats heartily from this has no taste."

The cocky one must have been watching and listening because he paused in his shoveling of food in his mouth. He saw Nishi notice, her mouth twitching upwards.

Nishi brought her hand down under the table, reaching a shaking hand over to Hiei's knee. He glanced side ways over to her. They had slept together nearly every night since she had been to her female doctor in the Human World and had been given a clean bill of health to have another child. She had agreed to another daughter so he would not stop the oaf from mating, or was it marrying, Yukina. Nishi had gotten to the point where all she wanted to do was lay beneath him and let him finish.

So her hand snaking down on his knee was a pleasant surprise. She bit her lip as she ran her hand half way up his inner thigh. He jumped as her hand moved higher. He reached his hand down discreetly to stay her hand, pulling it into his. She took his thumb between her thumb and forefinger, rubbing it up and down. His leg twitched at her touch. He tried not to let his mind run too excitedly at her movements. He looked over at her, trying to discreetly figure out what she was thinking. He noticed her gaze was passing between the cocky one and the female councilor. A silent challenge to them that he was hers and she was his. The female councilor did not even bother to look at her. The cocky one looked at her with a disgusted look on his face. She took her hand away and brought it back to the table. She picked up her glass and drained it. She set the glass down on the table with a loud bang. The stranger had his hand up to his mouth, poorly concealing a smirk beneath it.

When the meal was over, Nishi had her hand on his. She pulled him up and tugged at his hand to pull him along after her as she pulled him out of the room. She wore a determined scowl on her face.

At her lead, they moved quickly through the castle and right up to the door of their rooms. She pushed him against the closed door, hands coming around his face, kissing him hard. She was breathing just as hard. Her hands came down to his scarf, ripping it off of him and throwing it down as if it offended her. Her mouth came down on the side of his neck, kissing and nipping him in only one spot. Her hands held his shoulders against the door, should he try to move; not that he wanted to.

He heard a sound in the hallway, sensing five or six others coming this way. Nishi stayed her mouth, her hands starting to quiver. She tightened her grip on his shoulder and resumed teasing his neck. He brought his hands up to the back of her hair, trying to use the braid to get her to pull her mouth away from his neck subtly. Whoever was coming up the hallway was getting nearer. She did not remove her mouth.

"Nishi," he whispered with a warning breath. She no doubt could sense the others coming. Once whoever was there turned the corner, they would see the two of them. Her only response was to give a forced moan against his neck, it was a soft sound at first, but grew louder.

He looked over and saw the others come around the corner. At the head of the group, he saw the stranger. Behind him stood a few of the council members, including the cocky one and the female councilor. The lot of them saw the two of them. Just as quick as they came around the corner, the stranger turned them right back around, shepherding them away.

"I think our tour of the castle would do better going this way," the stranger rushed out. "Nothing to see that way."

Once they were out of sight, Nishi pulled her mouth away from his neck and her head up. She looked a mix of smug and slightly embarrassed. He eyed her suspiciously, figuring what had just happened had all been the stranger's plot.

She reached around him and opened the door, guiding him into the room before her. She shut the door, leaning on it to do so. She took a steeling breath, looking at him nervously. "I hope you're not too embarrassed by that..." she blurted out breathlessly.

It had been planned, just as he suspected. The stranger probably wanted the council to see they were trying to have another daughter and enjoying the process. He studied her curiously. He could still see anger and angst behind her eyes. She moved over to him in a rush, yanking his cloak off with haste. She pushed him back hurriedly towards the couch in their sitting room. He sat down on it. She was on his lap before he could even lean back. Her mouth claimed his, holding nothing back.

Next, she kissed her way up the side of his face and brought her mouth over his ear and confessed sweetly, "I love you. I truly do."

'Only because you're cursed to,' he thought. The mate might have said he had no proof of that, but what did she know?

Nishi claimed his attention back to her. She nuzzled him with her nose to push his head to the side so she could go after his neck once more. He wished she would bite harder. Her teeth had to be strong enough to break the skin, surely. His hands snuck up behind her lower back, coming under her shirt carefully, lest this turn into another night where she would not let him do anything. Her mouth slowed, but she did not stop or stay him. His hands gingerly trailed up and down her lower and middle back as she brought her hand off his neck and pressed her chest on his. Her skin was hot to the touch. She straightened her back up above him and then guided his hands to the bottom of her shirt. She made him grabbed the bottom of her shirt and then guided his hands up as high as she could. He pulled it the rest of the way off of her on his own volition. Her skin was flushed a light shade of red on the part of her chest that was currently exposed. He brought his hands to her sides and waist. She arched her lower back towards him to grant him more access to what he wanted to touch. She had been putting on weight again after all thankfully. She needed to be stronger and healthier if she were to have another daughter.

He slid his left hand up to the center of her bra, pulling her against him as he brought his mouth to her neck and chest. She was warmer than usual here too. She panted in response to his touch. His right hand went behind her back and unhooked her bra. At the release of it, she hastened her hand up to remove it from her. His mouth kissed down to the center of her chest, kissing at her mate bite there. A bite that others did well not to notice too obviously if she deemed to expose it with a low cut top. His mouth kissed along her left side until he reached its center and drew it into his mouth. She whimpered at this, wriggling in his lap. Her hands teased his hair, tugging at it as she was teased.

Her tugging on his hair grew harder, more forceful. She pulled his mouth away from her. She was panting as she stood up before him. She looked at him lustfully as she knelt down before him. She brought her hands behind the outsides of the back of his knees and pulled him forwarded to the edge of the couch. She reached over to his belts and undid them and his own pants.

"Stand up," she ordered him, trying to pull him up by the front of his pants. He rose up. She pulled off his pants and boxers in one go down to the ground. She assisted him to step out of them both. She bundled them up and threw them away from her. "Sit down." She was an extra of fierce tonight.

He did obediently. She pushed his legs apart widely as she slipped her head and upper body between them. Her mouth claimed his cock as she began to move her head up and down. She was moving fast on him, faster than had been expected. He hissed through his teeth as he brought his hand down to her braid, gripping the base of it tightly. She hummed loudly as she moved.

Suddenly she stopped and pulled her mouth from him. She straightened her back, a mischievous look in her eyes. She lifted under her breasts with one hand and guided his cock in between them. She felt so wonderfully warm here. She moved her chest against him, her soft skin and sweat made what she was doing all the more enjoyable.

"Stop," he told her, staying her shoulders even though he would much rather she kept moving. "We can't waste it," he moaned.

She stopped as he requested, pulling away from him and standing up. He stayed sitting, but pulled her up to stand before him. His hands held her hips firmly, kissing her stomach. She grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head away from her. Her hands shakily came to her pants, undoing them in her haste. She yanked them and her panties down from under his grip. She used her legs to slide them off of her the rest of the way.

She tried to sit on his lap, but he kept his hands firm on her hips. She wriggled back out of his grip, smacking his arms away with a cross look on her face. He looked at her in shock at this bold move. She stepped back over to him and sat back down on his lap, rubbing herself tempestuously against him. She slid her hand down between them and shoved him inside of her before he could even think to do so himself. It felt like she was on fire, burning up as she gripped him with impossible tightness. She whimpered and then began to moan as she moved on him. Hardly anytime had passed before she cried out against his neck in pleasure.

She slowed down after that, seeming to go boneless as she leaned against him. He gently guided her to lean down over the couch on her hands and knees. He came up behind her, pushed her upper back down, and slipped inside of her. She cried out loudly, gripping the soft cushions beneath. He hardly touched her before she came a second time. She was nothing like last night where all she did was lay beneath him and tried to stay awake.

He slid out of her and turned her around. Before he could slide back into her, she brought a hand to his chest, staying his movement. She pulled off his forgotten undershirt and threw it away from them. Next, she moved back on the couch until her back came to on the arm of it. She brought her hand up and beckoned him over to her. She was being so coy.

He came over to her, but smirked at her as a mischievous idea crossed his mind. He took two of his fingers inside of her, teasing her mercilessly. She raised her head up, exposing her neck as she panted noisily. When her legs began to try to close, he did not stop. He brought his mouth down to the center of her right breast and teased it. She could not help but scream when she came. He pulled himself up over top of her, teasingly rubbing against her front as she squirmed and whimpered beneath him.

"Please," she whimpered. "That's not what I want."

He slid back inside of her at that, making her scream again. She went limp beneath him, but her body was hot and trembling. "You're very sensitive tonight," he commented. He snaked his hand down between them.

"No more, please," she begged as she stayed his hand. He moved his hand to her shoulder and pulled her close as he finished.

She lay still beneath him; eyes closed and breathing deeply. Her face was flushed red and she was warm and sweaty all over. It was a pleasing sight to see her looked so ravished. He laid his head down on her chest. He could hear her heart pounding as fast as a rabbit's. She brought one hand to his hair, stroking it.

When her hand stopped moving and went slack, he realized she was nearly asleep. Figuring he could pick up their clothes tomorrow, he picked her up and carried her into their bedroom. He lay her down on the bed, tucking her under the covers. She was still a little too warm for his liking and her chest and face were still flushed. She was still breathing deeply and he could tell her heart beat was still fast as he lay with his head resting on her chest. He worried slightly that he had overdone it, but knew she had proven to be able to recover quickly. A good night's rest and she would be fine.

Yet that was not what happened. About two hours later, he awoke with a start to see her run to the bathroom and throw up.

She brushed her teeth and came back to the room, looking clammy and jittery. She went to her dresser and dressed hastily in a pair of pajamas. She returned to bed, breathing heavily.

"I'm alright," she breathed out unconvincingly. She began shivering.

He rose up and moved over to her, placing his hand on her wet forehead. She was hot to the touch. Hotter than she had been two hours prior.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She whined under breath, "no..."

"I'll go get a healer," he said as he got up.

"Please do.." she whispered.

He dressed quickly and sought out the healer in the castle. Since Nishi was female, he hired a female healer. Finding one that understood the minute differences between demons and humans was a little bit harder to find, but manageable. This one was a wolf demon, sporting her own tail and ears like a wolf's. The older healer was a bit cranky about being awoken in the middle of the night, but once she heard what was wrong with Nishi, she gathered up herbs she would need and fetched a cup of hot water for them.

The older healer followed after him to their rooms and went immediately to Nishi. Nishi lay on the bed, curled into a ball and whimpering.

"Oh my dear," the older healer said as she set her herbs and the cup down on Nishi's night stand.

Nishi rolled over to face the older. "Asa..." she murmured up at the healer. "I was sick again," she said out loud.

The older healer was already mixing the herbs into the water as she said, "a simple stomach bug is an easy remedy. Ginger, honey, and lemon will ease your pains and settle your stomach. Then you can rest."

Nishi nodded to her as she accepted the cup from her. She drank it very slowly. The healer sat at her bed side, rubbing the small of her back she drank.

"Better?" the older healer asked her. When Nishi shook her head as her arms crossed over her stomach, the older healer frowned. "Maybe in a few minutes."

The few minutes that passed ended with her throwing up a third time in their bathroom. Nishi came back to the room and slumped down on the bed, curling into a ball immediately and crying. The older healer's hand came back to her lower back, rubbing it gently.

Hiei stepped over to the older healer and stayed her hand. "Go find something else for her," he told her sternly.

"Yes my lord," the older healer rose up and left the room.

Nishi's hands were on her stomach, clenching it tightly. He sat down next to her, waiting impatiently for the older healer to return. The healer returned to her with another set of herbs that she could 'almost' guarantee would work. Nishi choked down the drink, but manage to finish it. It only took fifteen minutes before she was sick again.

The healer was very concerned at this point as she assisted Nishi back into the bed. She was crying harder, gripping her stomach tightly. Once Nishi was secured in the bed, the older healer ran her hands over Nishi's body, trying to sort out what was wrong with her as she lay there shivering.

"I'm not sure what's wrong," the older healer whispered to him. "There's only minimal damage to her stomach, but her heart is racing."

"I'll take her to the Human World," he decided, ready to pull her over to him. A human hospital might be able to help her where the older healer failed.

"No," Nishi refused. "I don't want to go."

"My dear-" the older healer began.

"No," Nishi hissed out.

"Take her she falls asleep or passes out then," the older healer instructed.

"I can't sleep... I haven't slept a wink tonight," Nishi gripped.

That sounded impossible. She should have been worn out by him. "What do you want then?" he asked her, feeling short with her.

"I want my mother," she whined.

He felt himself panicking now. She never asked for her mother. She must have been feeling really sick.

"I'll be right back," he promised. He went off to quickly to send a message to the Human World for the fox.

The older healer, though tired, stayed with Nishi. Once Hiei returned to them, it did not take the fox even an half hour to arrive. The fox looked just as tired as they were when he arrived. The stranger had escorted him to the door, saying the guards had found the fox at the front door and asked the stranger permission to let him in. Hiei dismissed the stranger, who pouted a little bit when he was told to leave.

The fox entered the bedroom, moving towards Nishi. The older healer saw him and growled at him viciously like a dog. The fox stopped short and raised his hands up in line with his chest, "I mean you or her no harm," he said carefully. "Please do not feel threatened. I'm and only here to help her."

The older healer looked at him distrustfully as she stood by Nishi like a guard.

"What's wrong with you?" Hiei asked the older healer.

"You hired a wolf demon as your healer," the fox started. He dropped his hands down to his sides.

"And we don't like foxes," the older healer finished.

"We can deal with the old feud between fox demons and wolf demons later if you would. I'll not challenge you," the fox offered.

"Either he leaves or I do," the older healer said as she turned to Hiei. "I'll not stay under the same roof as a fox."

"Asa, don't," Nishi whimpered from the bed.

"Chose," the older healer barked at him. "Your healer or this beast."

"Leave then," Hiei told her, hoping that she was only bluffing and would stay, but there was no guarantee.

The older healer looked wounded. She turned to Nishi. "I'm sorry my lady. I would have stayed loyal to you." She leaned down and placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead.

"Don't go," Nishi whimpered as the older healer stepped in front of the fox and bared her teeth at him.

"I've no personal quarrel with you," the fox reminded her while he stayed stock still and unresponsive.

Nishi was whimpering on the bed as the fox over to and felt her forehead. "What's the matter?" he asked, voiced dripping with concern.

Hiei ran down all her symptoms; nausea, vomiting, jitteriness, fever, chills, pain, racing heart, and damage to her stomach.

The fox sat down by Nishi on the bed, checking her forehead and frowning. "What were you like a few hours ago, at dinner and afterwards?"

Nishi shook her head, too embarrassed to answer. Hiei spoke up for her, "she had lots of energy after dinner. Frisky. Aroused. Sensitive."

Nishi whined under her breath at that apt description. "What was the meal?" After Hiei told them what they had for dinner, the fox shook his head. "None of that should make her sick like that... The energy spike is the one thing that doesn't make sense." Down to Nishi, he said, "I have a plant that can extract whatever is poisoning your system. I'm going to need you to lay on your back and stretch your torso out straight." Nishi whimpered at the request. "Please," he said. She did, wincing as she stretched out her back. Her hands held her stomach down. The fox looked back over to Hiei with a quick pleading look. He turned back to Nishi. "I'm going to need you to pull up your shirt and expose the area that hurts."

"Do it," Hiei told her even though he did not like it. She rolled her shirt up to just under her breasts.

The fox gently pushed her hands away from her stomach and begin to press gently on the area under her ribs. She scrunched up her face as he did this.

The fox nodded his head. He reached up to his hair and pulled out a tiny seed from it. "This will be kind of painful," the fox warned. "The flower will take root down into your stomach and absorb only the agent that is making you sick. Once it does, it will uproot itself. Its roots are so slim that you won't need healed afterwards. Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her.

"Will it make the pain go away?" she ask him grumpily.

"Yes," he promised.

"Mmmmhm..." she grumbled. She closed her eyes and said, "do it."

The fox the seed down on her stomach, but stayed his hand from letting it sprout. He looked back over at Hiei standing nearby. The fox addressed him, "Hiei, could you hold her arms down above her head? Um, it will keep her still. And to help expose her stomach."

Hiei stepped over to Nishi who offered her hands to his. Hiei held her hands down by her head and stood facing her feet. She gripped his hands tightly.

"Hiei, I need you to stand facing her head. I need you to watch her face in case she can't handle the pain," the fox requested.

Hiei thought the request was odd, but he moved to do so. He climbed into the bed and rest on his knees on the other side of the bed from the fox. Nishi looked up to his face. She swallowed and redoubled her grip on his hands.

"Keep a good watch on her face. No matter how she reacts. I'll need you to judge by her face if I need to pull the flower out early." Hiei nodded. "I'm going to start now," the fox warned. Nishi nodded and then scrunched up her face and sucked down a scream. When Hiei turned to look down at the seed and flower, the fox firmly told him, "don't look down. Keep your eyes on her face." Hiei looked back at Nishi. She gritted her teeth.

"How much longer?" he asked the fox.

"When the flower uproots itself, we'll be- oh," the fox stopped. Nishi's face looked overly relieved. "It's already finished."

Hiei let her hands go and settled on his hunches next to Nishi as he watched the fox lift of the tiniest flower with the longest roots from Nishi's waist. The roots were as slim as hairs and red with blood. Hiei reached over and pulled Nishi's shirt down to cover her stomach up. She looked peaceful and groggy now in her pain free state.

The fox looked over the flower with the two tiniest grey petals with a small frown on his face. "Now how would you have consumed that...?"

"What is it?" Hiei asked as Nishi sat up next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. She looked sleepy now, but she wanted to know what was what.

"Insam," the fox answered. "It's like the Demon World equivalent of ginseng. But it is more or less 1,000 times potent. A drop or two is plenty for a demon to be energized without any side effects. If a demon consumed more than two drops, then they may see side effects, but they would be minimal ones like a head ache and thirst. If a human tried to consume them-"

"They could die," Nishi finished the sentence for him, looking pale. She was breathing rapidly.

Hiei could feel the blood bounding in his ears as he tried to figure out who would have poisoned Nishi. His mind honed in on the cocky one or the female councilor.

The fox had kept talking, "you consumed two drops somehow, but your stomach could not break them down chemically, which led to your pain and suffering. Someone might have slipped this into your drink or meal. It's not something put in a meal naturally."

"Who would do this?" she murmured nervously.

As the words left her mouth, someone knocked four times on the door and then waltzed into the room. The stranger came in, looking a little bit flustered himself.

"My lord. My lady," he said with a shallow bow. "I believe there was a bit of a mix up at dinner," he rushed out. "She was given my drink at dinner."


	90. Chapter 90

Yasha went to bed annoyed on one hand and proud on the other. The red headed demon had spurned him a third time. Whatever that was, it was over. On the other, he had found a way to increase Hiei's chance for a second daughter. He had mentioned his mate had been easily tired most night, so he had orchestrated with Midori to slip her one drop of insam oil to give her energy. A chance side effect of it was arousal. Even if she was not aroused, she would still be more energetic and more likely to conceive.

He had no qualms about the plan and could tell he carried it out brilliantly. Nanashi drained her glass at dinner, where Midori had slipped the drop of insam, and he could tell it took root later that evening with the two of them in the hallway by their rooms. He fell asleep, glad to know one thing worked out well today.

Late in the night, he awoke with a start to a pounding on his bedroom door. One of the guards had said there was a visitor here for Hiei, but Hiei could not greet the visitor. Yasha rolled out of bed and did it.

Much to his surprise, it was the red headed fox demon, Kurama, he had run into before Hiei and Nanashi's wedding. Maybe he should be glad he was awoken and shafted by the other red headed demon after all.

"What can I help you with?" Yasha asked him. He tried to sound more flirty and less sleepy.

"Hiei sent for me," Kurama said. "Nanashi is sick and I need to see her right away." He stepped closer to Yasha, hinting that he wanted to go around him.

"What's wrong with her?" Yasha asked, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

"She's sick, so I need to see her right away," he repeated. He had a voice as smooth as velvet.

"This way then," Yasha said as he led him up to Hiei and Nanashi's rooms. Kurama followed him quietly as his eyes roamed over the part of the castle he walked through. "Here we are," he said as he opened the door for him.

As Kurama stepped into their bedroom, Yasha saw from around him a scene that made his stomach drop. Hiei standing by the bed looking worried, Nanashi on the bed and curled in a ball, and Asa, the wolf demon healer, was sitting next to her on the bed. After Hiei told him to get out, he shut the door quickly on the scene and swore under his breath. He did not like how certain he was why Nanashi was so sick.

He went to Midori's rooms and rapped on the door. Midori came to the door quite grumpy about being awoken like this. "What do you want?"

He pushed her back and slipped into her room, closing the door behind him. She look nervous and was blushing. "I'm sorry, but I need to know right now," he said in a hushed voice. "Remember how I asked you to put insam in Nanashi's drink so she would have more energy? How much insam did you put in Nanashi's drink?"

She blinked up at him and rubbed her eyes. "Um... I don't remember."

Yasha stepped over to her and gripped her shoulders. She flinched at him. "You need to remember right now," he hissed.

She looked up at him like a frightened rabbit. "Um, um, um, two! Two drops."

Yasha dropped his hold on her shoulders. "I told you one drop... That's all her human body would be able to handle..."

"You said one or two," she countered. Her voice had a higher pitch now that she was panicking. "So I put two in there."

"I said one will do," he growled out. He ran his hands through his loose hair. "More than one drop and you might as well have poisoned her!"

She made a few loud, high pitched sounds that sounded like they maybe words. It ended with "... is she okay?"

Yasha slid his hands down his face. "I certainly hope so. I have no idea what Hiei would do if you poisoned her so badly that she died."

She came over to him and smacked him pitifully on his chest. "It was not my idea! It was yours!"

"I'll go down with you too," he sneered. Thinking fast he added, "I'll cover for you if you agree to say the drink with insam was with me and the drinks were accidentally switched."

She nodded up at him rapidly. "Okay, okay, okay, I can say that," she promised. She must have been scared at the idea of Hiei's revenge. "I'm sorry. I didn't do that on purpose. I thought you said two drops..."

"Just be sure to say it was my drink was the open that was supposed to have the insam in it," he reminded her, trying not to panic himself. "Give me the vial of insam." She went over to her night stand, opened the drawer, and drew out the vial, handing it to him carefully. "Try to get some sleep," he told her as he took the vial from her.

She shook her head, but said, "ok, you too."

He left the room after that, making his way to Hiei and Nanashi's room. He felt panicky, hoping if he told a convincing enough story, Hiei would not read his mind and find out the truth.

He enter their sitting room and rapped on the door to their bedroom four times. He let himself into the room, bowing and saying, "My lord. My lady. "I believe there was a bit of a mix up at dinner," he rushed out. "She was given my drink at dinner."

"What?" Hiei asked with a snarl. Nanashi, who was sitting next to him, held his hand to stay him. A calming influence...

Yasha swore under his breath. He pulled the vial of insam out from his pocket. He held it out in front of him as he stepped over to the fox.

The fox took the vial from him, opened the tiny lid carefully, and sniffed it. He winced as the smell burned his nose. "If this were full, it would kill Nanashi four times over." Hiei looked annoyed, but Nanashi kept her hand on his, making him stay sitting. "But it isn't full. Just over half of it remains."

Yasha spoke, treading carefully, "that's because I use it. When I'm tired, I ask a kitchen staff to give me a drop or two for an energy boost. I asked for a dose tonight. But Nanashi and my cup got switched somehow. That's how she got poisoned. It was my fault. She was not intentionally poisoned. No one else was a part of this."

All of them were looking at him curiously. Nanashi spoke up, "how did our cups get switched...?" she asked.

Yasha was unsure how to answer that question. Hiei came up with a logical reason on his own. "You were so close to one another that the likes of Midori could make the mistake if she wasn't paying attention." Yasha grimaced as he mentioned Midori. He might decide to question her after all.

Yasha turned to Nanashi and knelt down in front of her. She shrank back a little from him. She looked wretched and exhausted. "I'm sorry my lady. Please forgive me," he asked sincerely.

She looked down at him thoughtfully. "Only if you let Kurama keep the vial," she responded.

Yasha stood up and looked over Kurama. "Keep it. By all means."

Kurama looked at him with a studying look. "I guess you'll have to find a new source of an energy booster." He held the vial up in his hand, giving it an equally studying look. He pocketed it.


	91. Chapter 91

Great Mother, the large council was the worst. No wonder Mukuro only had them come together few times and far between. Now it was nearly everyday... They demanded the same things. A second daughter, a secondary heir. Among other things that did not sound very important. Questioning what other purpose Nanashi had beyond that. As if they were blind and never noticed how she improved the castle little by little. Yasha loved every moment he was away from them. It was less stressful being away from them.

After a stressful meeting with them, Hiei summoned Yasha to meet with him separately. He detested a potentially one on one meeting after Midori's accidental poisoning of Nanashi. He might mean to question him about it.

When Yasha entered the room that was once Mukuro's presence chamber turned Hiei's now, he saw Hiei standing there alone, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and scowling. His head band was still on, which was a good sign. The room held one chair and a small table. The table held two cups of water on it.

"Sit," Hiei commanded him, nodding to the chair.

Yasha felt a little panicky, but did as he was bid. He pulled the chair out and sat down, feigning ease. "So what's this all about?" he asked with a tone of boredom.

Hiei stepped over in front of table and stood before him. Yasha tried to stay calm, even as Hiei pulled out the vial of insam he had given the fox and gave it a shake. Yasha felt his mouth go dry as Hiei put six drops in the cup on the right and then five drops in the cup on the left. He shook the vial hard over the left cup, but could not get another drop out the vial. He threw the vial down to the ground in annoyance. It shattered on the ground. Seemed like it was easier to annoy than he used to be. That much insam in either cup would kill a human. That much would poison a demon, but with a reaction similar to what Nanashi went through.

"Chose one and drink," Hiei commanded him.

"No," Yasha told him incredulously.

Hiei looked impatient as he stood before him. "Why not?"

"Because they're poisoned," he stated frankly.

"They're poisonous for a human too."

"You don't think I know that?"

"Then why did you tell Midori to give Nanashi two drops?"

"One drop." Yasha slouched back in the chair, fidgeting with the end of his right sleeve. "You questioned her?" He knew. He knew everything.

"Her mind's easy to read," he responded. "She doesn't avoid thinking about things like others." He nodded back down at the cup. "Chose."

"No."

"Chose, or I'll chose for you."

"No, I'd rather not be poisoned too," he challenged.

"Chose," Hiei growled as he slammed him hands down on the table and the cups rattled. That temper was shorter than he was.

Yasha leaned forward while he would rather lean back. "You need me. The council will eat you alive if it weren't for me on the council. I can influence them to calm the fuck down and shut up about hinting at rebellion. You've seen it."

Hiei's eyes narrowed down at him. "Do you have control over any of them?" He glanced down at the gloves on his hands.

"No. I haven't taken anyone since Mukuro. Why should I have?"

"Either drink one of these cups or swear to take control of council members that desire to rebel," Hiei suggested.

Yasha blinked up at him, taking a few seconds for everything he said to sink in. "I..." he slipped out. Yasha did not like the idea after witnessing the long term effects of his control on Mukuro.

"Chose."

Yasha looked at the two cups before him. He debated based on the current council, no one seemed too mindful on rebelling. Katsura maybe, but he was so new that he would not be so influential. They all just like bitching and drama. Yasha reached over to the cup on the right, the one with six drops in it. He pushed it off the table. Both of them stayed still as the glass shattered.

"I chose to take over some of the council should they want to stir up more trouble beyond their squabbling," Yasha responded with a smirk. "Katsura would be easy to control."

"Never poison my mate or give her anything without her knowledge," Hiei ordered. Yasha slouched back and nodded reluctantly. Hiei straightened up as well. He reached in under his cloak and pulled out another vial on a corded necklace. "She refuses to take any herbs or medicine to increase our chances. That's her choice. But I chose to. This was given to me by Asa before she left. Two drops a day."

Yasha commented, "so while your mate is just hopeful she can conceive naturally, you're taking herbs to increase your chances?" He gave a soft laugh at his own comment. "What about this other cup?" he asked as he moved to push that cup over too.

Hiei stayed the cup. In reaction, Yasha drew his hand away from the cup. "Drink," he demanded.

"No. What more could you possibly want?" Hiei was tiring him.

Hiei grew somber at the question. "After you proven Nanashi could be poisoned and possibly killed that way, I've contacted your sister, demanding that she tell me if Nishi is the one from her curse." Yasha could not help but smirk as he let slip his nickname for his mate. It showed his affection for her.

Yasha rolled his eyes and shook his head. "She'll never do it. She enjoys lording the mystery over you too much. Besides, you don't have to think too hard to figure out it's Nanashi. Who else could it be?"

Hiei's nose twitched and he shook his head slowly. "Minha demanded I give her the Demon King title that I win in the next tournament in trade."

Yasha did not have to feign surprise. "That's a tall order..."

"I agreed to it," Hiei said, swallowing thickly. "I have to know..." he said in a hushed and distant voice. He nodded down to the remaining cup on the table. "Drink. Or agree to enter the tournament and on the chance you win, give it to your sister as payment for her to figure out if Nishi is the cursed one."

"What? Did you loose your cocky confidence so suddenly?" Hiei did not response. Yasha heaved a sigh. "I don't like public fighting as a sport or spectacle. And I don't want to be king." The very idea made him groan.

"You wouldn't be king. You'd give it up to your sister. Either that or drink."

Yasha detested the idea. Minha as queen... He decided he would just fight the first round and throw the fight. Hiei would be happy enough if he took one potential rival down. Yasha sat forward and pushed the remaining cup to the ground.


	92. Chapter 92

Hiei was unsure which was worse, the council or the side effects of the herbs the older healer had given him. Both made him doubly irritable.

Nishi did help in her own way. She rarely refused him as they trained for the Demon King tournament by day and tried to have another daughter by night. So patient. So steady. So calming.

The fox was helpful too. He stayed back from the council, but was quiet and lacking in conversational skills. He visited often to train for the tournament, but kept a distance from the council and the stranger. He seemed annoyed with the stranger's flirtations. It was hard to find time to even talk with him.

The stranger was willing to be assisting as well. He took control of the cocky one and the female councilor as they were conspiring about how to get Nishi thrown out of the castle and take the regency away from Hiei. The female councilor wanted to take that over for herself until his girl came of age. It was sobering thought how much they could have done had the stranger not interfered. They had been trying to convince three other council members to join them.

Everything was irritating and grating day and night. At least in training with Nishi, the fox, or the stranger burned most of it off. It did not help that he struggled to sleep. No matter how much he trained during the day and no matter how often he was with Nishi during the night, falling asleep was difficult. Waking up was the worse, not matter how much sleep he got. He was envious in how quickly and deeply Nishi fell asleep every night and how easily she awoke in the morning.

Then everything seemed to fall into place one day. He trained alone, feeling much to irritated, temper too short to want to be near Nishi. When he was angry, she railed against him and was unhappy with him afterwards. With her unchecked stubbornness, she could hold onto a grudge for hours or even days.

So he left her to train with the fox. He checked on them in the afternoon, noticing a sense off of her that was a key to their success. They were sparring, but if what he sensed was true, they needed to stop immediately.

Hiei was quick to jump between them, blocking the strike that would have hit below Nishi's stomach. He shoved the fox away from her for good measure to keep him from striking her again.

Nishi put a steadying hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

Nothing was. He turned around to her and pulled her in for a kiss. She gave a the tiniest gasp in surprise. She gave another gasp as his hand slid down to the front of her hips. The new energy there sparked, as if ignited by his touch. Another daughter...

"Am I...?" she stuttered. He nodded, smirking up at her lustfully. She was seemingly more desireable now than she had been a minute before. She muttered under her breath as she plopped down to the ground. "You've worn me out... both of you. Now I can rest eh?" She seemed overly excited as she lay her back down on the ground. Her hand came to her front. "Fingers crossed that it's not twins again."

Hiei went to tell her it was only one this time, but the fox cut in. "Nanashi, are you pregnant?" His voice sounded tight.

Hiei turned around to the fox. He had yet to tell the fox they had been trying to have another daughter with everything that had been going on. "Yes, finally," Hiei answered for her. "Hikari needs a female heir for the line of succession." He frowned slightly at the fox who looked puzzled and concerned.

Nishi called up from the ground. "And Izo can't be her heir, thanks to Mukuro." She yawned. "I could fall asleep right here."

The fox was quick to say, " Hiei, I've changed my mind. I want to be your right hand."

Hiei frowned at him. "Why?" he asked in tandem with Nishi. He gave her a quick glance from the ground where she was sitting up now.

The fox looked skittish. "Uh, look, it'll be easier to train if I'm here instead of going home every night." Yet he would have to deal with the stranger's flirtation. "And now that Nanashi can't safely train, you and I can train longer and harder."

"I can't just dismiss Yasha for no good reason," Hiei stated. He wished Nishi was not there. The fox seemed like he was holding back something he wanted to say.

"Another job then," the fox was quick to request. "Preferably not in the kitchens."

Hiei shrugged, wishing the fox would speak quicker. He looked down at Nishi. "What do you think? Could he help you setting up more of your human comforts?"

"Like the wind turbines?" Nishi asked. She seemed to hardly notice the fox's tension. "Sure. The other demons I put to the task can hardly tell left from right on a good day. Or hey, what about the gardens? That's my next project. You have a green thumb, don't you Kurama?"

"Either one is fine," the fox agreed. The fox nodded down to Nishi. "Is it twins again?"

Nishi frowned slightly as she moved her mouth about as if she were speaking. Her wind dragon could find it out. A girl. Another girl. What they needed. Then the damned council would shut up. An end to all the drama.

Nishi began to speak. She was speaking quickly. He missed part of her words. "...so soon...Oh, only one though this time, thankfully... It was only this morning that uh..." She paused a second as she blushed a fair shade of pink. "... conception happened."

Nine months from now and they would have the daughter they wanted and nine months and beyond where the council would shut up about their stupid words and demands.

Yet he had to be sure. Surer than he was that Nishi was the one from the mate's curse. The sooner they new the gender, the sooner the council would be tamed.

"Wind dragon, try to figure out the gender," Hiei commanded. He needed that confirmation.

Nishi's lips were moving. He waited on bated breath for the confirmation of a daughter. "He says its likely... a boy because it fells more like Izo did than Hikari, but it's hard to tell..." The words said from her soft voice was a crushing blow. A boy... The irritation was building up into rage at the thought of such a wasted effort. "...it could mean either a male or female, but diffidently a fire demon this time... He would say male..."

The words were the worst. "Which one of us determines gender again?" he asked her as he bit back rage.

"You do. Women only have X chromosomes, but men have both X and Y so-"

His eyes went red and he tried to burn out the flaming rage within him on a boulder nearby. He struggled to think clearly. Every single time, all that effort, all those time hearing the council that he could not get rid of, everything was wasted. And it was his physical body to blame. The last thing Mukuro wanted before she died had been so close and now was dashed for at least a year.

Unless Nishi was rid of the boy. The red in his vision seemed to bore into his mind. "Damn it!" he swore down at Nishi. Her hand was on her stomach protectively as she moved back on the ground away from him. "We need a girl! Not another boy!" She flinched, looking like a frightened rabbit. "Fuck! Now what the hell are we supposed to do?!"

"Hiei, calm down," the fox said soothingly. Hiei blinked over to where he had been behind him, but he was not there. He turned quickly back around to see the fox standing protectively much too close to her sitting form. The sight fanned the flames.

"Why?!" he hissed at the fox. He wanted to tear Nishi away from him. They were entirely too close to one another. "We've worked for a girl for six months and all we have to show for it is another useless boy." It was impossible to bite back his temper. So much wasted time. It was maddening and infuriating. "Get rid of it," he ordered Nishi. She gasped. Her face looked like she was staring at a monster. She shook her head quickly as she trembled in fright next to the fox. "Are you kidding me?! the sooner he is gone, the sooner we can have a girl." For however smart she was, it was maddening that she did not make the same realization.

"Hiei, stop," the fox said next. He stepped sideways so he would now be standing in front of Nishi.

The fox stood in front of her, taken from his line of sight. In that moment of rage, he hated him. He pointed down towards where Nishi hid behind the fox. "She didn't even want another child! I had to strike a bargain to let Yukina someday marry that oaf if she would agree to Hikari's need heir. Something she should have been okay with in the first place as her mother. And now we've wasted all this time for a child that likely won't be approved by Mukuro's old council either. And suddenly she wants to keep him?!"

The fox looked uncomfortable to say the less to caught in the middle between the two of them.

"Yes," Nishi answered softly was her spot on the ground behind the fox. She rose up, keeping her hand on lower stomach protectively. She side stepped around the fox who tried to keep her behind him and failed. She stepped in front of the fox and faced Hiei head on. She had a wounded, but determined look on her face. She reached over and struck him across the face with all her might.

He realized now he had not only lost his temper, but now set her against him. She was someone who would hold a grudge unshakably when she deemed it worthy. He felt this would be a grudge she would willing to hold against him for nine months and more.

She would have slapped him again, but the fox pulled her back. The sight of him touching her so openly was an awful sight, especially as when he pulled her back she struggled to break free.

As she struggled with the fox, she screamed at Hiei, "how dare you talk to me that way! It's not his fault what his gender is! Who are you to punish him for that! He's hours old and you already resent him! Fuck you and your council!" Her grudge was set in stone.

The fox stepped back, tugging Nishi with him. "Stop now. Both of you."

Nishi continued to fight to be free even as the fox wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "No!" she growled at him. Even as the fox held her back, he intended to protect her. To protect her from him. The realization was biting. The red is his eyes dulled until it disappeared. Nishi kept raging directly at him, hatred dripping venomously from every word. "I may not have wanted this child, but I'll be damned if I let you deny him life. Your mother did not deny you your life, so what give you the right to deny his you son of a bitch!"

When the fox tried to cover her mouth to get her to stop talking, she bit him. The fox growled softly and pulled his hand away.

She wanted this child, even as a grudge against him for not wanting the child. Knowing her, she would do whatever it took to keep this child now, hell or high water. Anything he tried to do to make her cast the second boy away would only succeed in hurting her and driving her further away from him. And the fox would keep her safe.

If she wanted to keep that her second boy, then, by all means she could. She would have to do it without him. Once her second boy was born, would it be safe for her for him to return. It was the best choice he could see for her. Yet he felt like the decision was ripping him to shreds.

"Keep him then!" Hiei hissed at her in defeat before he turned and ran.

The fox called after him, but his shouts fell on death ears. He ran for the castle, making it there before either one of them possibly could. He hunted down the stranger, rapidly explaining the current situation to him, leaving nothing out. The stranger tried to argue and counter, but he spoke over him. Leaving the last part of his instructions that the fox would be left in charge in his place and he would be back after her second boy was born.

When he left the bewildered stranger, he followed him out, keeping his voice down. "Where are you going? Where will you go?"

Hiei kept moving quickly. "Your sister's. I can train for the tournament with her mate and his warriors."

The stranger followed him. "Stay and just let her keep the child. Support her and she will be all the willing to try again next year."

"Keep you voice down," he ordered the stranger.

The stranger looked up at the door they stopped at. "Why are we here?"

The stranger followed him into the nursery where the nurse maids were quick to jump up at his presence. He went up to his girl who sat with her brother and two other nurse maids playing. His girl reached up for him the second she saw him. He picked her up wordlessly and held her close. His girl may look like him, but she was so much like Nishi in so many other ways. He tried not to notice the others who watched him in this moment.

"I'll be back," he promised his girl in a soft whisper.

He passed his girl down to her nurse maid carefully. He noticed her boy looked up at him cautiously. He looked every bit like Yukina and behaved in a similar manner. The nurse maids had reported to him that he could heal simple injuries already. He reached over for her boy, but he flinched and cuddled close to the nurse maid he was next to. Hiei stood up and stepped away from the circle of them.

Hiei left the room, with the stranger following him like an annoying pest. He rounded on the stranger with hesitation. "Keep them safe. Keep them alive. No matter what the cost."

"Yes my lord," the stranger swore.


	93. Chapter 93

Yasha sat in Nanashi's rooms, watching the worn out human sleep in her freezing cold room. Yasha thought over the four stressful months that ticked by with Hiei gone to the Hayato clan to train for the demon king tournament and stayed away from Nanashi so he would not try to take away their third child. Once he was born, Hiei would not stay his life. Yasha spoke with him mentally, but every time he begged him to come back, he refused, citing that if Nanashi did not ask for him to come back, then he would stay away until the child was born.

Kurama being here was nice, but the stress of everything else was not so much. Yasha took control of Katsura and Cho as well as three other council members who wanted Nanashi, Hiei, and their son Izo sent back to the Human World and for Cho to take over Alaric while Hikari grew up under her influence. If anyone did not like that, then they could be disposed of. This is why Yasha preferred a backseat to politics. It was deadly to be in the middle of it.

Yasha tried to tell the five of them to outright drop the rebellion and take over plot, but it exhausted him beyond belief. His energy was drained nearly dry. He pulled back the orders on all five of them to just that they must not rebel without Yasha in the castle. He had not thought or reason to leave the castle anyway, so the rebellion would never happen. If he did, he could just tell them to halt the rebellion while he was gone. So simple.

Even that drained him, but he could still carry out his duties, chief among them now helping to care for Nanashi who was put on bed rest. Pregnant when Kurama said that was impossible. Something to do with blood factors and differences between humans and demons. Did not really make much sense to Yasha. Considering that Hiei had been taking medicinal herbs to increase their chances, he was not surprised she conceived anyway.

She was hardly able to move or do anything. The second son she had already named Ryu burned within her night and day. Kurama had roped a hideous human acquaintance of his to take care of her. A Fujimoto. He had apparently been a medical student who was sympathetic and interested in demon-human relations and biology. He had let it slip that Kurama had promised to help him find a demon for a lover in return. It seemed like Mr. Fujimoto had his eye on Kurama, which Yasha did not like. Technically Kurama was not a demon; more like a human with a demon spirit. Complicated idea to tease over mentally. Would sleeping with him be considered hucking?

As for Kurama, he was willing to work with Yasha to deal with the council and to help with Nanashi, but he was cold, formal, and distant with Yasha. As he watched Nanashi sleep, Yasha's mind wondered to a time he thought he may have cracked Kurama's cold demeanor.

Two weeks ago they were in Hiei's private chambers, going over the plan they would put to the other, more loyal council members that would allow Ryu to be Hikari's heir so the whole council could peaceably just shut up about it. There were more important matters in the world than that.

Kurama was reading over Yasha's writing, stumbling over the words. "Ugh, what does this phrase mean...?" he asked sleepily.

Yasha stepped over to him, standing close to Kurama. He had a nice, woodsy smell about him. "Which phrase? This one?" Yasha pointed to the paper near Kurama's hand. He saw him tense up a little bit. "Yes, this one. What does it mean?"

Yasha leaned over to him, whispering it close to his ear what the phrase meant.

"Thank you," Kurama said groggily. He turned his head cautiously towards Yasha. Yasha felt his heartbeat faster. Surely Kurama could hear it. Yasha watched while Kurama did not move back from him.

Yasha looked at Kurama's lips, barely breathing. "You're welcome," he whispered.

Kurama was close enough to kiss if Yasha wanted to. The temptation was there for both of them. Yet after getting to know Kurama over the last three and a half months, Yasha knew that if he kissed him first, Kurama would resist him all the more. But if Kurama made the first move, there was a chance for another kiss and more.

Yasha began to pull his head away from Kurama's when he would rather kiss him. Surprisingly, Kurama's mouth followed his, kissing him briefly. It was a brief kiss, but a wonderful one. It would have lasted longer had Yasha not pulled away. Yasha cleared his throat, pulled his hand away from Kurama's, and took a step back. Kurama seemed like the type who would enjoy his playing hard to get. Foxes did like to hunt prey.

"I'm sorry," Kurama breathed uncomfortably. "That won't happen again."

Yasha had hoped in that moment and up to now that he did not intend to keep that promise. His mind snapped back to the present. He looked over at the clock ticking away. Fujimoto should have come to relieve him from watching Nanashi seven minutes ago. Yasha wondered which human was more an example of their whole species, Nanashi or Fujimoto. He hoped it was more like Nanashi.

After being fourteen minutes late, Fujimoto came into Nanashi's bedroom, apologizing to Yasha.

Yasha waved him off. "Yes, yes, you're sorry and you're late. Just be sure you watch her carefully. And go to Kurama's rooms next door immediately if anything happens," Yasha drawled out. He could not wait to be away from that annoying human.

Yasha left the room that contained one human who was shivering from the cold in the room and the other one who needed the cold to survive. He left Nanashi's room and head straight for Kurama's, taking the time to knock and announce himself.

"Come in," Kurama called tiredly.

Yasha did so and stepped into the room. Kurama sat on a chair in front of small table near his bed, bent over a book he was scanning. He flipped through the pages, looking for something very specific.

"Are you alright?" Yasha asked as he stepped over to the bed and sat himself down on the foot of it.

Kurama frowned at him and went a little stiff at the sight of him so familiarly sitting on his bed. Yasha laid his upper body down on his bed. Kurama stiffened a little less. That was a start. "I'm alright, just researching something that I thought might help Nanashi, but..." he sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Yasha looked around the room. There were plants in this room which made the room have a floral scent. The bed held the same scent. Kurama's woodsy scent intermixed with the room's scent made him all the more desirable. Being so close to him made Yasha desire him even more. His mind drifted back to the kiss Kurama had given him two weeks prior. He wondered if he could get another, possibly more soon, so long as his luck held out.

Kurama looked down at him on the bed and frowned curiously at him. "Yes?" Yasha asked him as Kurama closed his book and stepped over to the bed.

"How's your control over the rebellious faction of the council going?" Kurama asked point blank. He sat down on the bed close to where Yasha lay.

Yasha gruffed into the blanket. "It's going well enough, but I have to keep them at bay. They are exhausting, but aren't going to do anything while I'm around," he hinted. They would never rebel while he was in castle. He gave them an order to make sure of that.

Kurama shifted on the bed so that one leg was on the bed and one hung off the side of the bed. His movement was one closer to Yasha still. Yasha's heart beat faster. "How are you doing that exactly? Keeping them at bay?"

Yasha hummed under his breath. "They know me well enough that they trust me and will listen to me is all."

"How do you have that influence exactly?" Kurama pressed. "Does it have something to do with your infrequent mental communications with Hiei?"

"Not too much," he said. "Hiei has no real say in it beyond wanting me to influence them to not carry out their plan."

Kurama changed the subject. "Have you told him how unwell Nanashi is? How she could die easily from this pregnancy?"

Yasha sighed, annoyed at how serious this conversation turned. "I tell him every time and he says she's stronger than we think. And that if she wants the child so badly, he'll not return and make her give him up. That he'll come back either when she has had the child or when she asks for him to come back. He thinks by staying away he is protecting her from himself."

"I wished either one of them could be convinced," Kurama muttered. "Can you convince either one of them? Like you convinced those five council members?"

Yasha remembered his promise not to take control of Hiei or Nanashi. "I'm afraid I'm not as influential as you would like."

Kurama seemed to soften as he said his words. Kurama looked down at Yasha and reached his hand over to his hand. He studied it and the glove upon it. Yasha felt his heart skip a beat. "Why do you wear gloves all the time?"

"An infliction from when I was born. Best to hide the sight of it-"

"-so you don't accidentally give someone an order?" Kurama changed, but finished the sentence for him.

Yasha felt himself stiffen as Kurama held fast to his hand. "How do you know about that?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Hiei," Kurama answered simply.

"He tells you nearly everything," Yasha grumbled.

Kurama held fast to his hand and was actually caressing it through the glove. Yasha swallowed thickly at his touch. "You need to have both hands uncovered yes? Flesh on flesh to make your orders stick?"

"Yes," Yasha answered. Kurama began to take off the glove from his hand in his hand. "Stop," he breathed as Kurama removed the glove and set it on the bed between them.

Kurama still held his hand fast as he turned it and studied it. Yasha could not remember the last time someone else had even seen one of his hands. "One hand will not harm me," Kurama told him steadily. Kurama pulled the hand up to his mouth and kissed the inside of his hand. "And if it did, you would not leave this room alive."

Kurama let his hand go and Yasha hastily put his glove back on. He felt more comfortable to keep his gloves on, even if the man in front of him had kissed an uncovered one. Kurama pulled his other hand back and pulled the glove off of that one as well. This move made Yasha sit up. He watched as Kurama studied this uncovered hand and kissed the inside of it.

When Kurama let his hand go, Yasha moved to put the glove back on. "Don't," Kurama said, taking hold of his uncovered hand. "Leave it uncovered for now."

It felt odd to have skin on skin contact like this without it following an order. Kurama touched his hand delicately, keeping his eyes trained on it rather than on Yasha's face. Yasha would have liked that he at least make eye contact.

Kurama dropped one hand on his hand. His other hand held his fast, but gently. He used his other hand to reach over and come under Yasha's jaw line. Yasha's breath hitched as Kurama leaned over and kissed him unexpectedly. His lips were soft and sweet. Yasha brought his one gloved hand up to mirror Kurama's hold on his face.

Yasha could have died happy after a kiss like that. He pulled back from Kurama, their lips parting from each other. Yasha wanted more, but he pulled away, unsure if he was pushing his luck. He realized his luck was with him when Kurama followed him and kissed him again, more firmly, but just as affectionately this time. He pushed him down on his back as the kisses continued.

Yasha stopped his mouth with his gloved hand. Kurama kissed it in replacement. "What are you doing?" Yasha breathed.

Kurama's green eyes danced lustfully as he answered, "something I think you've wanted me to do a long time ago." Kurama's eyes stayed trained on Yasha's mouth.

Yasha smiled up at Kurama. "This is not quite what I imagined," he confessed.

Kurama's hand touched the side of his face, stroking it. "And what did you imagine?" His voice was husky and deep.

"I imagined something like this," Yasha said as he rolled Kurama over onto his back. He straddled him, smirking down at the unbelievably handsome man beneath him. Kurama did not meet his gaze as he looked down at him. The poor fox demon was nervous. He was an apex predator in his own right.

But so were hawks. Yasha brought his mouth down to Kurama's face, kissing his mouth and then trailed kisses up to his ear. "I just want to strip you down," he confessed. "But I imagined something like this," he teased. He nuzzled his head to the side and kissed softly along his neck. He reached the collar of his neck and went back up to his ear. "I want to unbutton your shirt," Yasha said as he began unbuttoning his button up shirt he wore. "And if you'll let me, your pants as well." The man beneath him panted nervously. "And then, well, we can go from there."

Yasha kissed back to Kurama's mouth, claiming it with a soft kisses. When his tongue slid into his mouth, he met it with his own. His kisses were more amazing than Yasha could have ever imagined.

As they kissed, Yasha had been busying himself with unbuttoning Kurama's shirt. He had to pull away from the kisses to finish unhooking every button. He pushed the sides of his shirt away, admiring the muscular warrior beneath him. Yasha felt his desire burning for him.

"Is this okay?" Yasha asked down to him, wanting to be sure he was not pushing his luck too much. Kurama did not open his eyes, but he nodded. "Good," he breathed. He reached over to his abandoned glove and put it back on. It was more comfortable to wear it.

Yasha returned his mouth to Kurama's, still finding it unbelievable that they were like this together. Yasha kissed and nuzzled to the other side of his face, up to his other ear. "You're perfect," he whispered as he let his hand trail down the center of Kurama's chest. "More than perfect. Unimaginably perfect."

Yasha kissed down the side of his neck, this time not stopping when he reached his collar. He nipped playfully at his collar bone.

"Don't bite me," Kurama whispered as he brought his hand up to Yasha's braid.

"My apologies," Yasha breathed, kissing the spot he bit gently.

Yasha kissed softly down along his chest, letting his hands trail lower, but staying above the hem of his pants. Yasha focused his attention on his ribs, dancing his hands barely along them as the man beneath him breathed deeply, exhaling loudly. Yasha's tongue daringly came to the right of his chest and played with it gently. As Yasha played, he breathed deeper and exhaled more fully. Yasha pulled his tongue away and teased the other side as well, enjoying the soft, low moans he breathed.

Yasha moved on to kiss lower, bringing his hand in line with his mouth as he kissed lower. Yasha stopped at his hip bones with his mouth, but brought his hand down to touch his thigh, stroking his hand slowly up and down. Yasha smirked to himself as he felt Kurama's hand come down to his braid, gripping and tugging on it.

Yasha pulled away and raised his head up. He pulled his braid over his shoulder, saying "if you want to play with my hair," he untied it and unbraided it. "Then do so fully."

Kurama gave him a studying look as he unraveled his long, black, and shimmery hair. Yasha moved up back up to his face, kissing him anew. Yasha began to run his fingers through his hair, but Kurama stayed his hands.

"Don't move," Kurama said as a vine seemed to entwine around one of Yasha's fingers. Kurama reached up and unhooked the vine from his finger. He pulled hands out from his hair. "Not all the seeds in here are friendly," he warned.

Yasha echoed, "not all the men in here are either." He smiled down at him as he kissed him more and more.

Yasha teasingly repeated his kisses and caresses down Kurama's chest and torso, making his husky voice pant once more. His hands took turns holding onto his hair and tugging on it.

Yasha moved his mouth down to the hem of his pants. "What's this?" Yasha asked, noticing the bulge in his pants. Yasha brought his hands to the top of his pants, ready to undo them. Yasha looked up at his face and gave him a questioning look. Kurama leaned his head back on the bed beneath him and nodded. Yasha bit his lip and undid his pants. Small for a demon, but possibly suitable for a human. Hard and ready. Yasha pulled his pants and boxers down, but only to the tops of his knees, leaving them there. Then he kissed along his thighs, stroking here and there.

Yasha pulled away and quickly brought his mouth back up to Kurama's mouth a third time. He gasped and shook a little beneath Yasha.

Yasha trailed his hand along his chest, stomach, and torso, but stayed above his hips. Yasha brought his mouth down to his ear, "now where do we go from here?" Kurama was breathing deeply. Yasha slid his hand lower, teasing it around his cock without touching it and focused on his thighs. "Here?" he teased. "Or here?" he asked in a deeper voice and took his cock in hand. Kurama moaned loudly as Yasha rubbed his hand up and down on him. Yasha brought his mouth in line with his ear. "I'll make you come if you want," he teased. "Pleasure you," he suggested.

Kurama's hand came up to Yasha's hair and pulled his mouth down to his, claiming it. Yasha brought his head up and dropped his hand on Kurama's cock. Yasha straddled him, gripped his jaw line, and kissed him briefly. He kissed down the front of his neck, the center of his chest, the center of his stomach and then down along his hips. Yasha's hands petted his thighs as he brought his cock into his mouth. Yasha sucked on him, moving his mouth at a steady pace. Kurama twitched and moaned beneath him. His hands slid into Yasha's hair around his head. Yasha relished the reactions as he took more in his mouth.

In surprising move, Yasha felt him come far sooner than he thought he would. Yasha disliked the surprised. Had Yasha known that was about to happen, he would have made sure it happen on his stomach instead. Without a word, he rose up from the bed, went to the bathroom, and spat in the sink. He leaned down over the sink, bringing his head under the faucet, turned the water on, and rinsed his mouth out.

Once finished, Yasha peaked his head out of the bathroom. Kurama laid partly on his side and partly on his stomach on the bed, facing the direction of the bathroom door. He pushed his upper body up from the bed, looking over at Yasha tiredly. Yasha stepped out of the bathroom and pulled off his shirt. Next, he leaned his side against the door frame, giving the man on the bed a smirk.

"Are you tired already?" he teased. "Are we finished?" He hoped not as he hid his impatience to continue. To have his turn. Kurama's gaze drifted down to the bed as he shook his head. As Yasha stepped towards the bed, he asked, "do you wish to continue handsome?"

Before Kurama could make any verbal or nonverbal response, a strangled, high pitched scream came from Nanashi's room.

"Fuck," Yasha swore under his breath. He remembered his promise to keep Nanashi alive.

Without thinking or stopping to grab his shirt, he ran from Kurama's room and into Nanashi's. He looked down at Nanashi's unconscious body on the bed, seeing and smelling the red stain on the pants she wore. Fujimoto stood over her, emptying one needle into her arm. He sat the empty needle down on the bed and then placed his hand on her lower stomach.

"Still bleeding," he murmured out loud.

He reached over to the his bag, dug out another needle, took off its cover, and began to inject that needle into her arm as well.

Yasha saw Kurama behind him, with his pants redone and his shirt hastily buttoned up. Kurama shoved passed him, shouting for Fujimoto to stop. Kurama knocked the needle from his hand and out of Nanashi.

Fujimoto retorted before the needle fell on the floor, "if that breaks off in her-"

"You already gave her one dose! Her body can't handle two!" Kurama shouted at him. "We don't know the full extent of that experimental drug. That medicine will stop her from losing her child, but too much of it will likely also stop her heart!"

"She was still bleeding after the first dose. She said to make the bleeding stop no matter what the cost. Besides, she said she was strong for a human," Fujimoto argued in a whiny voice.

"Not the cost of her life!" Kurama's voice was filled with panic.

Yasha had stepped over to Nanashi's unconscious form on the bed. She had stopped bleeding now, but was struggling to breath. He reached over to hand, noticing it was cold and clammy all of a sudden.

"What are the symptoms of an overdose?" Yasha asked.

Both other men turned back to him. Fujimoto answered, "she might get cold, her body might go into shock, she might struggle to breath, but she's a wind mage isn't she? She doesn't need air to breath."

"Her heart could still slow down until it stops," Kurama responded.

Yasha asked a second question. "Does it look like this?"

Fujimoto examined her himself. "Yes..."

Yasha felt a pit fall into his stomach. "Do you any medicine to stop her from..." he could not finish his sentence. He wished Hiei was here. He would know exactly what to do.

"Not for this," Fujimoto admitted. "I brought medicine to prevent a miscarriage, not to stop an accidental medicinal overdose." His voice sounded tight and whiny.

Yasha's voice was hollow as he asked the next question, "Kurama, do you have something, anything for her? That flower that sucked the insam out of her?"

"That only works on the stomach..." Kurama answered. "Let me see if I have something in my room..."

Yasha took charge in the situation. "Kurama, take her to the Human World. Please. Quickly." No one responded to him. "Kurama," he swore. He turned around and saw Kurama was gone.

"He went to his rooms," Fujimoto blubbered out. Yasha turned around and saw the hideous human had backed away and had his face in his hands. "I can't... I didn't mean to..."

Yasha debated the best option for Nanashi, even though it was the worse for everyone else. He picked Nanashi up. She was lighter than he thought she would be as she hung limply in his arms. He instructed the crier in the corner, "I'm taking her to the Human World to a hospital. You have to make sure you follow me within minutes with Kurama and the twins. Before anyone else realizes I'm gone. You don't want to be here when they realize I am gone."

Fujimoto nodded, sputtering without really speaking. It would have to do. Every second that passed was a second she could die. As he ran for the portal to the Human World in the basement, he prayed Fujimoto would listen to him and would bring Kurama and the twins after them before Cho and her merry band took over the castle.

When he made it to a Human World hospital, the doctors there told him if they had delayed much longer, her heart would have given out. Thankful for that. Doubly thankful that Kurama and Fujimoto made it with the twins unharmed. The castle and all who were in it that were not on Cho's side were damned, but at least, thought Yasha, he kept his promise to Hiei. That counted for something in the weight on his conscience.

Once they were in the hospital and Nanashi was put in the care of doctors, Kurama contacted Yusuke, Nanashi's aunt, and Yukina. Yukina was reachable and was on her way with her human fiance, but the other two did not answer. Kurama seemed rather short tempered about it all. Fujimoto was away with some of the doctors who was questioning him about everything that had happened to Nanashi. He was not going escape this unscathed.

Kurama and Yasha sat together with the twins. A few nurses were helpful enough with caring for them. At least Kurama had had enough time to grab somethings they needed a even a shirt of his own for Yasha to wear. The shirt gave off his woodsy smell.

After what felt like a long time waiting, a doctor came to tell them Nanashi was stable, but unconscious. She asked if they had reached a next of kin so they would know what to do next should her body threaten another miscarriage now that the experimental medicine to prevent it was counteracted. When Kurama instructed them to just let it happen, he was told he nor Yasha could not make that call since were not related. Yasha, not caring for pretext anymore, let the doctor know that Nanashi's sister in law was en route. The doctor said that would be good enough for her.

Once the doctor left, parting with a request to be informed when the sister in law arrived, Kurama looked crossed with him. He went up to a nurse nearby and asked her very quietly to watch the twins who were currently sleeping. Kurama gave him one last look before leaving the waiting room. The look very clearly told him to follow. He rose up and followed him.

Kurama led him to an enclosed stairwell, turned on him, and chastised him as soon as the door closed on them, "what were you thinking? Telling the doctor about that. If Hiei finds out-"

Yasha looked at him incredulously. "I don't know, maybe keeping his mate alive," he responded. He heard a noise in the door behind him, but he did not lower his voice. "That's more important. Besides, he'll have sensed she is no longer in the Demon World. Hiei will probably seek Nanashi out and find her before Yukina could find out she's his sister and that he never planned to tell her about it."

He heard a high pitched gasp come from behind the door. Kurama was quick to keep reach past his and push the door that was opening shut behind him. He was standing so close now. "Keep your voice down," he barely breathed. When Yasha opened his mouth to speak, Kurama clasped his hand down on it. "Please no," he begged.

"Yukina, what's wrong," a rough voice sounded behind the door. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Did you not find Kurama in the staircase like the nurse said?"

Kurama leaned in and told Yasha, "if he decides to kill you for this, I would be willing to hold you down."

Yasha felt a chill wash down his soul at his warning. Kurama dropped his hand over his mouth and pushed him back from the door. He opened it and stepped out alone.


	94. Chapter 94

The first day Hiei was in the Hayato clan's village was the worst. All of the days were bad, but the first one topped them all.

He got the clan, this time using the short cut he found last time he was there. He moved really fast considering he did not pass out after jumping over the cliff.

After he made it past the cliff, the pains in his center started. By the time he arrived at the clan, he was staggering. A clansman on guard that he did not know challenged him at the gate, but this time he answered 'lightning' with 'thunder,' so he was allowed in. The guard had another clansman to watch the wall while he escorted Hiei to the mate's castle and on to the mate herself. She had the beauty and another female demon in the room with her. He felt better in the mate presence immediately. When he sunk to the ground, she was quick to fawn over him like he was some wounded animal.

"My lord, what's wrong?" the beauty asked as the mate knelt down beside him, trying to heal him. Little did she know her presence alone made the crippling ache he felt more tolerable.

"He's not our lord," the mate snapped at her. "We're not part of the Alaric territory anymore. We don't answer to him. The first thing he did in his daughter's name was grant us our independence." The mate turned to him and asked, "what is wrong my friend?"

"Nishi..." he mumbled pitifully under his breath. Nine months was going to be so long...

"What's wrong? What happened to her?" the mate asked nervously.

His temper suddenly felt very short. He gripped her shirt and pulled her close. "Tell me right now. Is she the one who was cursed? Yes or no?"

The unknown female demon was quick to intercede. She was between the two of them fast enough and shoved him forcefully back and down to the ground. "Don't touch the gunjuneun," she ordered. She was protective to say the least.

"Rina, stop," the mate told her. "He's not going to hurt me. He knows what will happen to him if he hurts me. Hayate will question him until his mind breaks and then will kill him. His body would be hung and not burned," she said confidently. The protective one nodded as she stepped back. She spoke to Hiei who tried to stand, but his knees buckled. Pain ripped through his center once more. "You know very well that I can't tell you if she's the one from your blessing or not. Not unless I read her blood." She looked back over to her two guards. "And I will not do that until you pay the price I named for it."

He did not like her answer. The desire to know was maddening. "I need to know now," he growled as he clutched his stomach. The pain he felt reminded him of Nishi. The thought of Nishi made the pain worse. It was a never ending cycle. He doubled over, grabbed his head, and shouted out in rage and agony...

The next thing he realized was he on his back on something soft. He wished very much that it had all been a dream. That he would wake up and find Nishi next to him, not pregnant and him by her side.

"Nishi," he called out, reaching over to the other side for her. The bed he lay on was not that big. It was only a twin bed. Nishi would not have been able to fit next to him if he tried. The realization of how real everything came crashing down around him. Nine months without her was going to be so long.

He looked over to his other side, seeing the beauty sitting in a chair nearby, humming softly to herself as she polished her knife. "You're awake," she said softly. "You've been asleep for quite a few hours..."

Somehow he made it through that day and others, training when he could with the large demon, the female demon, the beauty, and others. He grew accustomed to being around the large demon, liking him in spite of his grandiose manner. They made him stronger. And the stronger he was, the better his chance was at winning the demon king tournament. Once he won it, he would give the crown to the mate. Then the mate would read Nishi's blood and tell him once and for all, for certainty that she was the one from the curse. She had to be, but he had to know.

During training and sparring, the large demon often berated him for lacking focus, but he could not help that nearly every waking moment he thought about Nishi, making it hard to focus completely on whatever else he was doing.

When the distance was too great, he contacted the stranger mentally to see how Nishi was, the most he got out of him for the next four months was the pregnancy was difficult, but she was determined to keep the boy and did not want him to return. That was all he needed. If the stranger told him she had even thought about asking for him to come back, he would have. That would be enough. But after the way he reacted and what he said, he was unsure if he would ever be summoned back. Partly to blame was the herbs he had been taking. The mate confirmed they did increase the chances of conception, but she also commented that the combination alone was enough to make even the most docile demon snappy. Once those were out of his system, he felt better his boiling temper simmer.

At the four month mark of missing Nishi and almost having adjusted to the constant ache and pining feelings, he felt a sharp, but familiar pain rip through him. He knew at once the pain meant that Nishi had gone to the Human World, just like the last time he felt this pain. His mind went into full panic mode as he hastily warned the mate where he was going to the Human World and why before he left.

Once in the Human World, it did not take long to sense where she was. He felt increasingly apprehensive when he realized he was heading to a hospital. How bad off was she if the fox took her to a hospital? It was not the hospital she had the twins in either, which meant men were there and they might touch her. If the fox let another man touch her...

He entered the hospital, flitting to the floor in which he sensed not only Nishi, but also the fox, the stranger, the twins, the oaf, and Yukina. The last one made him increasingly uncomfortable.

When he made it to the floor, he saw Yukina standing and talking with a doctor, looking very concerned. He brushed passed her without stopping, even though she saw him and called after him to wait.

He went straight to the room he sensed Nishi in. A woman standing over her, quite possibly a nurse, holding a clipboard and making notes. He saw Nishi laying in the bed, looking pale, weakened, and vulnerable. He could see foreign looking machines around her, monitoring her health. He did not sense a child with her. Whatever happened to her, he regretted tearing himself away, even if it meant protecting her. He had to know.

The nurse looked over at him startled. Before she could say anything, he told her, "get out." She was quick to run out of the room. He shut the door behind her.

He stepped over to Nishi as she slept away on her back. He stood by her bedside, wondering out loud, "why didn't you send for me?" He took her hand off the bed, kissing her wrist. He could sense her heart beating steadily under her pale skin. "I would have come back," he swore. He set her hand down, stepping closer to her head. His hand brushed her hair away from her face before leaning down and kissing her lips briefly. "I love you." He straightened up and reached back down to her hand, clasping it.

He felt the temptation in his mind to know exactly what had happened, the whole, unadulterated truth. He had promised not to read her mind without her permission. He felt like it was unnecessary anyway. She was honest, trustworthy, and would have nothing to hide. Just more evidence that she was his undeservedly. She had to be the cursed one.

He slipped off his head band and closed his eyes, seeking out the mind of the fox. He would know the most. He caught the fox thinking about how angry he was with the stranger. Before he could figure it out why, the fox thought to him, 'stop this,' he ordered before forcing Hiei out of his mind.

He turned his mind to the stranger's mind. The stranger did not notice he had entered his mind at all. Carefully, so as not to hurt him, he looked in his mind to read it over starting at when he left the castle and left Nishi in his and the fox's care.

That was when the real, unexpected truth began to unravel. Nishi should never have been able to get pregnant, according to the fox. That for some reason she left a doctor's appointment out in the Human World before the appointment was finished. That was too odd. Nishi had told him she went to the appointment and that it had been normal, having said nothing was out of the ordinary.

The next bit he saw was the fox bringing a male human in the castle and introducing him as the doctor of sorts who would be taking care of Nishi while she was pregnant. Hiei did not like that fact one bit. Another man had touched her. The fox had arranged for it to happen.

He saw the stranger and the fox trying to convince the council to name the second son to be his girl's heir. Three of them were convinced, one was on the fence, and five others were against it. They were doing their best to convince the others. The female councilor and the cocky one led the pack of the dissidents. They thought to rebel and set the female councilor in charge of the territory until his girl came of age. They also were planning to either exile or kill himself, her boy, and Nishi. The stranger tried to tell them to drop their plan outright, but he could not control the five of them like that. He did not have the energy for that. He shifted the order to that they could not rebel so long as he himself was in the castle. The stranger had done everything he could do to keep Nishi and his children safe. Of course now the castle was probably in the female councilor's hands, but he could deal with that later.

He kept looking in the stranger's mind, seeing there that in the first three months of Nishi's pregnancy she struggled unimaginably. The stranger had downplayed it when they communicated mentally. The stranger watched as she chose to lay in bed for nearly a month so her body would not try to give the child up, even though it burned inside of her almost constantly night and day. The plan turned to her just keeping him inside of her for five and a half months and then when he was viable, delivering him. The fox tried to make her give up the second son. The stranger tried too. So did the male human. Yet she persisted, determined to keep the second son no matter what. The male human enabled her, giving her medicine that was considered almost medically approved to keep the child going until he could be delivered. The fox and the stranger tried to convince her to give the second son up, but no matter how they tried to convince her, she stubbornly refused; growing temperamental if they pushed too much.

He left the stranger's mind. So Nishi had been as foolish as she was stubborn. She had set herself against himself so much that she risked her own life to it. It was almost as spiteful as Mukuro could have been. It was chillingly familiar considering Mukuro gave her more time to live. And she nearly wasted that gift just to spite him.

He dropped his hold on her hand and stared down at her cautiously. His image of who she was in his mind was starting to crack. He felt the temptation to look in her mind to see what she had done, despite the fact that he promised her he would not do that without her permission.

He did it anyway, shifting back to the day of that doctor's appointment. He saw it. It was at that all female hospital she gone to during her first pregnancy and delivery, the one she had not really told him how she got in there. He saw in her mind the fight she had with the doctor and saw the doctor accuse her about lying about being raped.

He pulled himself out of her mind briefly at the very thought. She was not one to lie, especially like that. Not to him.

He went back into her mind, shifting through it so he could see the memory about that lie. He found it in her mind, based on her first doctor appointment at the all female hospital. She lied about some doctor taking advantage of her when she was young, but he could tell she was lying without having the need to search her mind for a memory about it.

He pulled out of her mind as his image of her shattered. He put his head band back on numbly. He stepped back away from her on the bed and towards the window that showed the darkened sky. He felt like he saw her clearly for the first time in a while; the liar. He felt the temptation to shatter the glass window similar to how his image of the liar had been. Instead, he feebly brought his closed fist against the glass.

He tried to calm himself down and keep his temper in control. That was when the liar awoke. He heard her gasp. He turned around, seeing her upper body pitch forward and float back down to the bed. She brought her hands up to her face and then ran them down to the front of her neck. She looked at her forearms, noticing the IV and other hospital equipment she was hooked to. Next, she suddenly tensed up and gave off the tiniest pained gasp. She slipped her hand down to her stomach. Her face read shock.

"He's dead," he told her, not caring to spare her feelings. She could lie about believably later. She was good at that. So good that she had even him fooled. She turned her head towards him, looking reading to shatter in her own way. She turned her pouting face away from his direction. Lying and childish now. He wondered how he could miss it after all this time. "You almost died too," he hissed at her, trying to keep his voice down. If she had died, he would never know if she was the cursed one or not. She turned her whole body away from him to her side. "I sense you almost die and come back and find you continued a pregnancy you knew could kill you, almost did kill you." She made no response; seemed to hardly be breathing. "On top of that, you lied to me about your doctor's appointment, refused Kurama's advice, and let another man touch you." He questioned whether she was worth everything now. If she was worth Mukuro's sacrifice. "If it wasn'' for Yasha, you'd be dead and the twins held hostage by those rogues who took over Hikari's castle when you all left." He would have to deal with that fact very soon; the sooner the better. "That's the only reasons I let him live." He stepped over to her, wondering why she refused to not stick up for herself at all. "Have you anything to say for yourself?" The lack of effort she made to contradict him was proof that everything he said and seen was true. "Still just like a child," he spat.

He left the room, slamming the door behind himself. He leaned his weight on the back of it, trying to keep his temper in check. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back his temper before it was burned off in the wrong place. He needed to save it for his girl's castle. He needed to go back now and reclaim it. He needed-

"Who are you?" a voice he had never heard before in real life, but knew.

He opened his eyes and saw the unremarkable male human who had dared to touch the liar. "Mine," he hissed through his teeth. He stepped over to the male human, brought his fist up, and pulled the punch as much as he could. The punch struck true, knocking the male human to the ground, but hardly did any damage. It would not be worth it to be imprisoned over this sop. Imprisonment meant he would never know if the liar was the cursed one or not. He still needed to know. He stepped over the huddled form. "If you ever touch her again, I will kill you," he bluffed.

"Stop!" he heard the shout. It was the stranger running straight for him, with the fox not far behind. Yukina and the oaf were there as well. The stranger reached him first, shoving forcefully against the wall by the liar's door. "Stop this right now. This is not the place or time for this," he reminded him.

"Easy Yasha," the fox instructed him. He put his hand back behind himself, gesturing to the oaf and Yukina to stay back. Next, he turned and assisted the male human to stand up and to step back behind him. Once behind him, the male human shoved passed Yukina and continued to run.

Hiei felt the desire to give chase, but knew it would not be a good idea least he accidentally kill the male human. One of the two men who had let the male human touch her would have to do. The stranger was closer. He growled up at the stranger, breaking free of his hold and decking him as well, but this time he did not hold back. The stranger staggered back, but stayed standing. The stranger tried to strike him, but he dodge it easily and then was punched across the jaw. He staggered into the fox. The fox stepped in line with the stranger, putting an arm protectively in front of him. The stranger was riled up though. He was quick footed to slip passed the fox and charged Hiei, trying and failing to tackle him. Hiei had him on his back wincing before he had the chance.

Without thinking about it, he had reached for his sword. He felt a large, firm hand cut across his body and grip his forearm. The oaf had his hand on him and was pulling him away from the stranger. He was no threat. Hiei stepped away from him and out of his grip. He watched the fox pull the stranger to his feet.

"You let another man touch her!" he snarled at the two demon men. "You just stood by while she nearly died! She is mine, not yours."

The stranger was wincing as he gripped his side. "We kept her alive."

"You enabled her," he countered. "Allowed her to spitefully keep the child that nearly killed her."

"We tried. And where were you?" the stranger asked cuttingly, almost judgmentally. He knew exactly where he had been.

"You know I would have come back after the child was born," he was quick to argue.

"Well we kept her and the twins alive," the stranger pointed out. "If you can't control yourself here, then you and I can leave. Go back to the Demon World. Deal with the castle while she heals up."

The stranger was right. The liar was safe and alive, but the castle was likely damned.


	95. Chapter 95

Since the first child had died, Hayato, the founder of the Hayato tribe, the Great Hawk Spirit had used her energy to allow the dead to enter dreams of their loved ones before she herself ferried their souls to the Spirit World for the afterlife. The Spirit World king did not like the delay in ferrying the souls to the Spirit World for judgement, nor did he like that the grim reapers were blocked from ferrying the souls of her children themselves. That did not matter to the Great Mother. They were her children and for the love of them, she did what she was able to do and what was best in her mind to do. Her children should be allowed to say goodbye. The best she could manage was to let them say goodbye to one person each night until their time is up. She managed to give them one night for every full year they lived. So if one lived for five years, then they would get five nights to say dream walk into the dreams of those they had known or even just met in their life. If they were living, most chose to visit their mothers first.

So this night here was heart wrenching. A child appeared to her in limbo. A child who had been conceived, but had never been born. A child who would not get to dream walk having never lived a full year after birth. He would not be able to say goodbye to anyone.

This child, though had never been born, appeared to her as if he was three; an age where a child could begin to realize the world around them and could communicate with her. The child was not fully from the Hayato clan, so when he came to her, he was facing with his back towards her. He would have to chose to turn around to her. Some chose to never turn around when she called them; to walk away from her even though she loved them just as much as her next child.

"Child," the Great Mother called to him. He had been looking around the limbo around him in wonder. Probably was the first time he used his eyes to see beyond his mother's womb. He turned his head and blinked over at her. "Come here please."

The child had an odd look about him; all black hair with crimson red eyes. He wore a simple white outfit. A dry heat radiated off of his tiny body. Most of her children, who were wind demons, unless they had mates with other types of demons, were fair haired and fair eyed; the norms were blonde or red hair and light green or sky blue eyes. So a black haired, red eyed, fire demon was truly odd indeed. She puzzled over who this child's parents were for she herself could not begin to guess beyond him being a child of someone sent into exile. She hated that some of her children would dare to exile others over personal squabbles.

The child stumbled clumsily over to her, using his feet for the first time. Her heart felt like is was melting with joy that he had chosen to come to her instead of walk away like so many exiles did. She knelt her feathered body down low as the child came forward. She offered her beak out to him. He reached a nervous hand up to it, touching it softly. His hand felt like it was blazing. While he could not burn her in her in between state, she gave a small gasp in surprise at the unexpected heat. The child jumped back away from her. He hid his mouth and nose with his hands.

"It's alright," she told him soothingly. He stepped back over to her, but kept his hands half hiding his face. "Who are your parents?"

"What are those?" he asked. He had a sweet voice about him, almost melodious as he spoke for the first time. His hands came down from his face.

The Great Hawk Spirit thought over how best to explain that term. "Your mother. Who is your mother?"

"What's that?"he asked perplexed.

The child was never born, so it was not a surprise that these terms were beyond him. "Who is the person or people who loved you?"

"I don't know," the child lisped. "But there was a voice..."

"A voice?" she questioned curiously.

"A voice that spoke of loving me," he was beginning to whimper. "Where is the voice? Where is she? Is she okay?" He was very concerned about his mother's welfare.

"Shh shh shh," she comforted. "It's alright." She nuzzled him with her beak. His hot hands touched her beak tenderly. "What can you tell me about the voice?"

"She was cold, so cold. Always cold," he began. An ice demoness? "I was always cold. I tried to get warmer, but every time I was warm enough, she complained and was pained." The boy began to shiver violently. She drew her wings around him, trying to help him feel warmer. Hugging him felt like hugging a furnace. "Why was she so cold?"

The Great Hawk Spirit explained based on her inference, "she's an ice demon. They need the cold to survive. What did she call you my child?"

The child was even hotter than before. He slipped out of her wings. His mouth mumbled about before saying, "Ryu." He looked around the area. "Where is she? Where is the voice?"

This is where it got painful. The unborn, but conceived had to be handled delicately as they did not understand life nor death. "She's still living Ryu. You cannot see the living until they are no longer living."

"Why?" he whimpered, fingers coming up to his mouth.

"She has not arrived where I will take you soon my child," she explained soothingly.

"Can I see her when arrives there too?" he asked, pulling his fingers down to his chin.

"Yes my child," she promised. "I'll be bringing her there myself," she promised, hoping his mother was her child or at least mated to one of his children. "I bring both my children and their mates to the afterlife if they chose to. Once she's ready, she'll join you." Cautiously, she nuzzled him with her beak. "Are you ready to go?" He looked up at her and nodded. "I'm going to pick you up and place you on my back."

She picked him up by the back of his shirt and hoisted him on her back. He settled down just above her wing joints. His overly warm hands were quick to cling to her neck feathers.

"Wait, what do I call you?" he asked shyly.

"Great Mother, my child," she responded.

"Great Mother, do you love me?" he asked in the smallest voice possible.

"Oh course my child," she responded.

"Do you love the voice too?" he asked curiously.

"I love all my children," she answered carefully, being that she did not know if his mother was her child or mated to one of her children or not.

"Me too," the boy said softly.

It pained her to think that if this child had been born, he would have been both a sweet and loving child; even if he felt ablaze.

"Ready?" she asked again.

"Yes Great Mother," he said, with a nervous tone in his voice.

She straightened up and spread her wings. "Let's go then."


	96. Chapter 96

The stranger was almost pushy to get out of the Human World hospital where the liar was healing up. Just as well. After attacking that pathetic male human who had touched the liar as well as the stranger, he knew he was going be kicked out the hospital if he had tried to stay. They left the other three in a hurry even though Yukina called after him to wait. His temper was too high to try to be calm with her right now. She probably wanted to talk about the liar anyway.

Once Hiei and the stranger were back in the Demon World at the outskirts of the grounds of his girl's castle, did Hiei notice the pains in his center from being so far away from the liar was there, but not overwhelming like it used to. Apparently love can wax as well as wane.

From climbing up a tree for a vantage point, Hiei could his girl's castle was aflame. The tower he had lived in was nearly leveled from the damage. Taking off his head band and remote viewing into the minds of those still there showed him the basics of what had happened. He linked his mind with the stranger so he could see what was going on as well. The members of the council and the staff members and others who lived in the castle that had sided with the female councilor and the cocky one had tried to take over the castle. Those councilors who were not on her side were killed and the staff and others who were on the opposing side were either killed or locked up in the dungeon. After the initial fight was over and the female councilor and the cocky one's side won the fight, the cocky one turned on her and killed her so he could take the castle over and started claiming the territory was his now. So the cocky one was double the traitor and was now ruling the castle with those who were alive on his side were enjoying it. He had thirty-five demons with him. Based on the levels compared to his and the stranger's, that would be too much for them to handle cleanly. He wished he had the detective, the oaf, and the fox with him. The five of them would be able to handle it. Yet they were or would be soon all be tied up with the liar.

Once he had felt he had seen enough, Hiei put his headband back on and leaped from the tree to the ground next to the stranger.

"Show off," the stranger snide. "So what the plan?" he asked. "How exactly are the two of us going to win? Without any backup? The odds aren't exactly in our favor..."

Hiei pondered what would be the next logical step. Yomi was out after 'bluffing' about trying to kidnap the twins. The detective's territory was too far away to ask his subjects for help. The king would not be able to help fast enough as he might get tied up with politics.

That left one viable option. One that he knew he could trust. He pulled off his headband one more time and sent a mental message to the mate, asking her to send her mate and a few others, instructing her to have them meet him and the stranger in the village near the castle. The conversation barely took two minutes. She was so willing to help when he needed it, even after years of saving her life.

Hiei started walking towards the village near the castle while speaking, "your sister is sending her mate and some of your other kin. We're going to wait for them in the village."

The stranger fell in step with him, but with a sour look on his face. "You can't ask anyone else...?" he muttered.

Once in the village, they ran into a few staff who had been in the castle when the attack happened. They were more than willing to give them extra information about what was happening. They were also curiously concerned about what had happened to the liar. The stranger was more than capable to answer those questions while Hiei stepped away to avoid those questions. He was not in the mood to hear how much they pitied her after all her lying.

Surprisingly after stepping away, he ran into the old healer. She had moved into the village after leaving the castle over her instinctive dislike of the fox. She was more than willing to house both himself and the stranger in her townhouse while they waited for whoever the mate sent to help them.

The next morning, the large demon arrived with the demoness, the beauty, and six other demons who also had their hair braided back passed their shoulders. Looks like the mate was sending the most courageous from the clan. The women had their hair back in two braids while the men had their hair back in one braid.

As the twelve of them, including the old healer, sat around the old healer's sitting room, Hiei watched as the large demon took over the mission and planning it out. The old healer, the stranger, and himself would be a part of the attack as well. Hiei was given more or less permission to do whatever the hell he wanted in the castle, but the stranger and the old healer would have to answer to the large demon or the beauty in the impending fight set for sundown. He claimed the cocky one as his own in front of everyone.

The stranger stood off to the side of meeting. He was alert during the planning, but was not participating. Hiei noticed none of the other clansmen and women around him seemed to want to be near him. Must have had something to do with his exile for homosexual tendencies plus his service to Mukuro. Seemed rather fickle reasons to stand so uncomfortably near their kin.

Time until sundown passed tediously. The large demon had asked Hiei delicately if he was able to fight due to the great distance between him and the liar. He was concerned that the pining and discomfort would be a distraction. Hiei shrugged him off and avoided him and the others until sundown; attempting and failing to rest.

Once sundown arrived, the twelve of them approached the castle from the south side where the tower that Hiei and the liar once inhabited was now a smoldering mess. Only part of the castle looked liked it remained habitable. They kept their energy levels suppressed as they snuck through the woods. This was the last place anyone would expect them to attack from. The cocky one had only one guard posted at the front entrance. Clearly the cocky one was foolish.

After a covert recon, they waited until the full moon was high in the sky. The old healer and one of the female demon's team member who was also a healer stayed behind in their rally point in case someone who needed healed could be brought back to them. The large demon took out the guard with a quick and silent spirit conjured arrow.

The rest of them attacked, with the large demon leading the charge in the beginning. It did not take long however for Hiei to outrun him. He claimed the cocky one as his own kill and he was damn sure he was going to do the deed.

After a quick fight with two other rebels in the mess that used to be the dining hall, Hiei was quick to outstrip the rest of the clan members as he sensed and searched for the cocky one, determined to find him. It took him longer than would like as the dull ache that had settled in his chest was making it harder to concentrate. The building itself reminded him of the liar.

He finally picked up on the cocky one in the dungeon. He moved quickly to the stairs in the basement. Beyond the first level of the basement was a second floor on the lower level that Mukuro used to imprison the rare demon she thought fit. Below that floor was the fighting pit.

Hiei made it to the basement and was about to go to the dungeon level when he sensed the cocky one coming up the stairs with a huge sword hilt visible behind his back. One of his sycophants who had been a staff member who worked in the garden came up behind him, panting.

The cocky one looked disgruntled, but self assure never the less. "I was just about to enjoy someone very nice, when I got warning that you were back. And with some new friends of yours as well." The term 'enjoying someone' sent a chill down Hiei's spin. "I figured either you or your mate would be back hucker. I'm more surprised it is you rather your mate. She's the one who seemed to care a lot more about this castle and the people in it."

The reminder of the liar made Hiei start to miss her. "Shut up," he ordered crossly. He threw his scarf and cloak down to the floor.

The cocky one gave a chilling smile. "What's wrong? Awe, did that second pregnancy finally kill her?"

"She's not dead," Hiei responded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat at the thought of her in her pitiful state and then her lies. "But you will be soon."

The cocky one crossed his arms over his chest. "She could hardly do anything the past month buy stay in bed while that child burned in her day and night. You missed all her misery. Left her to Yasha who apparently gives orders like a whore gives blow jobs. What kind of mate would do that? No wonder she almost died."

Hiei drew his sword and aimed it at the cocky one. "Those are really bad last words."

He charged at the cocky one who was quick to draw and parry with his own sword; a hand and a half bastard broad sword that crackled with white electricity. They managed to match each other speed for speed. The cocky one managed to push him back towards the wall opposite the stairway to the dungeon, but not without Hiei being able to deal him a few slashes first. The cocky one did not let the injuries slow him down. Rather he kept throwing out insults and comments about the liar: "come on hucker, you can do better than that... did Nanashi teach you how to fight like that?... Would you cut your mate like that?..."

Each mention of her was more and more distracting. He felt the dull ache in his chest grow stronger as his reaction time slowed down. The cocky one still kept his original pace steady. "Missing your mate?... How far away is she?... How much do you think she'll cry when I kill you?"

"Shut up," Hiei ordered again, feeling desperate to kill him. He brought his sword across the cocky one's left thigh.

"Son of a bitch hucker," the cocky one muttered. He was quicker than expected to deal blow for blow. He took his bastard sword and ran it through Hiei's side, just on the inside of his right hip. A shout tore from his throat as he felt the static dancing around the wound. The cocky one took the chance to ram both him and the sword straight into the wall behind him. He drove the sword to the hilt into his side, and burying the blade in the cool brick wall.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you even more now," Hiei spat at him. He still had his sword in his right hand. He could feel the wound to his side bleeding as well as a small hint of a spark too. "If you're an electric demon, why can't you do more than a little static?"

The cocky one had stepped back out of sword's reach from him. "You really think that's all I can do? I bet Nanashi's not even that foolish." Her name again... "Try to pull the sword out. See what happens? Nanashi would do it."

Hiei grabbed the hilt of the sword and tried to yank it out of his side with his left hand. Another pain shriek escaped his throat as he felt like every muscle in his body seize up. He felt rather than heard cracking in his hip and pelvis, making standing harder and more painful. His hand on his own sword held it in a death grip. He would not be able to drop it if he tried. He pulled his left hand off of the bastard sword. His chest felt tight and it was hard to breath. He pulled his left hand into view, seeing his palm and fingers had blackened burn marks. He still could not let his own sword go. He sent a quick mental message to the stranger for assistance.

"Always such a fun trick. The more you try to pry the sword out, the more electricity it lets off. I'm the only one who could handle the charge to pull it out," the cocky one said with a laugh. "You know what I would do next if your mate were here?" he asked in a softer tone. "I would test your matehood hucker."

Hiei did not like that tone one bit. "Mine," he hissed at the monster before him.

The cocky one kept going. "I wonder if a human could truly be claimed by a demon. I would test your matehood by bending her over and seeing how it would take for her heart to give out over the infidelity while you shouted and tried to free yourself. The last matehood I tested took four minutes before the female died. After that, the male was more than willing to hold onto his sword until his own heart gave out. Such a tragic end for the both of them."

"You're a monster," Hiei growled at him, making the mental plan to castrate him once he was free.

"Monster or not, I am now the Lord of Alaric," he stated. "But in the absence of Nanashi, I can still test your matehood." He turned his back to his sycophant behind him. "Go fetch Midori," he ordered. "Make sure she's decent."

The sycophant went away at once. "What did you do to Midori?" Hiei asked, feeling increasing uncomfortable. He felt annoyed that the stranger was taking so long. He practically shouted for him mentally and was told to 'hold on.'

The cocky one shrugged. "She's enjoyable. Eager to volunteer in Sayuri's place. And Sayuri is untouched... I think after I'm done with you and your friends upstairs, Sayuri would be a nice change."

"I will kill you, slowly..." Hiei promised. 'Yasha,' he thought mentally.

The sycophant had the haggard looking sprite up with him. She looked like she had not had a proper rest or shower in days. He threw her down in front of the cocky one. She bent down herself almost doubled over as if she wanted to make herself smaller.

"This was the one who led the resistance against me if you can believe it. She's more than earned her punishment."

Hiei tried to pull himself from the wall, but had to stop due to the high voltage shock it gave him. "You beast," he panted out. 'Yasha...'

The cocky one ignored him. He kicked at the sprite. She whimpered, but stayed still. "Midori," he addressed the sprite. She began to shiver at the sound on her name. "Kiss him and I will not only free you, I will also free the other girls in the dungeon. Including Sayuri." Midori stayed on the ground. "Get up," he ordered her with a kick.

She stood up numbly. The cocky one shoved her towards Hiei. She staggered towards him, head down and arms wrapped tightly around her chest. "I don't want to," she whimpered.

"Would you rather we go back to the dungeon?" he asked her.

"No," she was red faced and was quietly crying.

"Your choice," he said.

The sprite stepped over to Hiei, standing just in front of him without raising her head up. "Midori, don't," he breathed to her. Movement made a spark pass through him. His chest felt heavier.

She raised her head up at the sound of her name. She mumbled something high pitched under her breath. She looked him in the eyes. Her eyes were full of fear. She leaned in closer to him. He turned his head away from her. She whimpered as her hands went to his shoulders. He tried to push her away with his burnt left hand, but the pain from the burns made him stay his hand.

"Don't make me go back down there," she begged in a whisper. With that, she reached down to the sword hilt and while both of them matched each other scream for scream in pain, she miraculously managed to yank the sword from him and the wall. Crackling went down his right leg, hip, and pelvis, making standing impossible. She dropped the sword and back away from him. He felt his head pounding and finding it difficult to breathe. His right leg gave out as he fell on it. He managed to drop his sword from his hand finally and brought his hand to his bleeding wound. A metallic taste seemed to fill his dry mouth, making him want to retch. He could have sworn he could hear a faint swishing sound behind him.

He watched numbly as the cocky one shouted and berated the sprite. She was curled up in a ball on the floor, blackened hands raised up to protect her face. He had his blooded sword in hand as he stood over her crumbled form.

"Stop right there!" came the stranger's voice from the top of the stairs that lead to the first floor of the castle.

He charged down the stairs with the beauty not far behind him. The stranger had no weapon, but his hands were exposed. The beauty had her knife in hand. Both of them looked like they had been a handful of fights each. The beauty more than the stranger. At the sight of the two of them, the sycophant must have had a fright because he turned and ran back to the dungeon.

When the stranger turned to go after him, the beauty stopped him vocally, "he's no threat. We'll deal with that one later." Her eyes were trained on the cocky one that still stood over the sprite with his sword in hand.

"Well now, how can I help you sweetheart?" the cocky one asked the beauty. His attention was focused on her. The sprite had enough presence of mind to start to crawl away from him and to Hiei.

The beauty narrowed her eyes at him. "You're the one who led this rebellion aren't you?"

"One of them," he told her with a smirk. "The living one anyway. I'm the new Lord of Alaric. Impressed yet?"

"Yasha," she addressed the stranger without looking away from the cocky one. She side stepped with her knife held parallel to the ground at mouth level. She stopped when she stood in front of both Hiei and the sprite. "Get them out of here and to Asa and Noburu please," she requested. "I don't want any distractions right now," she added with a minor keyed tone.

The stranger was quick to step over to Hiei and the sprite, putting one on one shoulder and one on the other. Hiei was numb and too cold physically to even consider offering resistance. The sound of buffeting wind kept echoing in his ears. The sprite only whimpered.

"Oye, where do you think you're going?" the cocky one called over to the stranger as he was stepping towards the stairs to the main floor. The beauty matched him stepped for step so she would stay standing in front of him as he moved.

"If you want them, you'll have to go through me traitor," the beauty told him a haunting sing song voice.

"How about just on top of you," the cocky one threatened.

"I will not burn your body when I'm finished with you," she responded confidently. Her voice hinted at a trace of annoyance.

That was the last Hiei heard from either of them as the stranger was running with the two of them up the stairs. Once he had the door slammed behind him, he heard the beauty give off what sounded like an ear splitting screech.

Before he could even think to be worried about her, the stranger said in a laughing tone, "oh he is so dead."

The stranger did not stop moving as he went outside and had the two of them down at the rally point they had set up earlier. The others minus the beauty were all here as well as some of the staff who had survived going against the rebellion. They looked like they had been fighting and or injured, but freshly healed.

The male healer from the clan was quick to start healing the sprite while the old healer was healing Hiei. Once the wound in his side was healed, he stopped hearing the intermittent sounds of the wind.

He tried to sit up before the old healer was finished, but she pushed him right back down. "I'm not finished," she said. "You've got a good number of internal electrical burns. You're lucky to still be alive."

"Hurry up. Before Ayane kills Kastura first," he snapped at her. What he imagined he would do would be slow to say the least. "What took you so long?" he shot at the stranger.

"I was tied up at the moment. Ayane and I were the first ones who could break away from the fighting to go after you and save you," the stranger responded.

"She has internal burns as well," the male healer interrupted. The sprite stayed on her back on the ground, but did have her hands over her face and sobbing.

The stranger fetched his gloves from his pocket and hastily put them on. He sat down carefully next to the sprite and pulled her over to him. When the male healer went to protest, the stranger silenced him with a look. The sprite clung to him, shaking and sobbing.

"It's alright now," he soothed. "Cry as much as you want. Let it out." He had a haunted look in his eyes. To the male healer he said, "keep going the best you can Noburu."

The old healer most have taken her sweet time because by the time she was finished healing Hiei, the beauty made an appearance at the rally point. She had three other women behind her, but they stayed at the edge of the woods, barely in site. That made no casualties from their group of twelve.

The beauty looked exhausted and had a nasty looking slash across her front from right shoulder to left hip. Her knife was sheathed at her hip. Once she entered the area, she collapsed to her knees. The male healer, having already finished with the sprite, moved quickly over to her. He helped her lay on her back as he healed her.

The large demon was quick to be kneeling by her side. "Is Katsura dead?" he asked her.

"Yes, my lord," she panted. The male healer finished with her quickly. She must not have been electrocuted and was only dealt a superficial wound. "The deaf scream loud, but the dead do not scream at all." The large demon helped her to her feet.

"Hiei, what do you want us to do with the bodies?" the large demon asked. "Our custom is to burn the dead who were loyal, but to string up and let the disloyal rot."

Hiei ignored him, sight trained on the beauty as he stood up shakily. "What?" he asked her disbelievingly. She looked over at him with a puzzled look. "You killed him? You killed Katsura?"

"Of course," she answered. "He-"

"Why?!" he asked as he closed the distance between the two of them. "He was mine to kill," he spat at her as grabbed her shirt collar with both newly healed hands.

She had the tip of her knife resting against his center before he could think twice. "You were nearly his to kill. The only thing you should be saying to me right now is thank you for saving your life." She was incredulous. She pulled her knife away from him, but scowled at him when he did not let her collar go. "He betrayed you and your family and he deserved to die. It should not matter to you who dealt the death blow." She raised her head up and spoke to everyone in the area. "If he doesn't let me go, I will scream," she threatened.

The large demon was quick to stop watching their exchange play out and was just as quick to pull the beauty out of Hiei grip and behind her. "Get out of my way," Hiei told him.

"No," the large demon told him. "She's done it before. Last time I saw and heard her scream the way she means to, she deafened everyone within ten feet of her."

Hiei felt too tired to try to attack the large demon to get to the beauty. "You bitch," he cursed her as she stood calmly behind the large demon. "He was mine to kill, not yours. Katsura was nothing to you. To think I could have mate claimed you once," he insulted her.

"I wouldn't have let you," she was quick to retort, distaste coloring her voice. "Once we fought, I would have beaten you, like the time I actual beat you. And I will not be claimed by someone who is weaker than me."

"Ayane," the large demon half roared her name to silence her.

"He insulted me first," she said with only a hint of a childish whine in her voice.

"Get out of my sight!" Hiei shouted at the beauty. "Every single bird here!"

"You still need us," the large demon responded calmly. "Or do want to deal with the dead, the survivors, and the damages all to the castle all by yourself?"

There was a lot of dead... "You can stay to help with the dead. I can send the survivors who want to to the Spirit World for more advanced healing if they want it." He pointed to the beauty behind the large demon. "But she leaves. Now. By herself."

The large demon looked behind him. He instructed the beauty, "go back to the village and rest up. Then go home."

"No," Hiei cut in. The large demon turned back to him. "She gets out of Hikari's territory tonight. Or you all do."

The large demon turned back to the beauty. "Do as he says," he told her.

The beauty screamed what was for her a quiet one. The large demon and Hiei were close enough to her to make their ears ring. Hiei covered his ears while the large demon turned back to the beauty with his own ears covered. She had stopped screaming and was now panting and red faced.

"I'm tired," she countered. "And I fought just as well as everyone else has. I cannot possibly move that fast..."

"It's either you leave or all of us do," the large demon told her tiredly. "You are not the only one who is tired."

"He's just a jealous, ungrateful fool!" she shouted back. "I saved his life! I will tell Minha about this," she threatened them both, more so the large demon.

The large demon turned back to Hiei. "Let one of us go back with her. As a travel companion."

"Fine. One," Hiei compromised. "So long as I don't have to see her."

The large demon looked relieved. He looked over to where the clansmen were. "Any volunteers?" he called over.

Surprisingly, the stranger stepped forward. No one else did. "I will go back with her." He looked nervous.

"You know you can't go back," the large demon responded.

The stranger took the next turn to shout. "I've finished my mission! Months ago! I kept Mukuro at bay! When she died, I made sure an ally to us gained regent power and I convinced him to give us our independence! I have been waiting to be able to come back after I have done more than enough to keep us all safe!"

The large demon was quick to counter. "That's not the main reason you were sent here." Everything seemed to go eerily silent. "You know that the only way I will let you come back is if you bring a woman as your mate back with you."

"I don't want a mate!" the stranger snapped back.

"Then you don't want to come home," the large demon finished the argument. It sounded as if this was not the first time this argument had taken place.

The stranger turned to Hiei. "Send them all away," he begged. "Not one of them deserves to be here."

Hiei felt caught in the middle. "No. Just Ayane needs to leave."

The demoness gave an exasperated sigh. "I'll go back with her," she volunteered begrudgingly. She turned to Hiei and said, "so long as the rest of them can rest and help you with the dead."

"Agreed," Hiei swore, much to the stranger's disappointment.


	97. Chapter 97

The ten remaining clansmen left after a night's rest and taking care of the dead. The large demon lead the charge of hanging the bodies of anyone who was part of the rebellion. Those who had been loyal to the end were burned respectfully. After that, they all left swiftly, much to the sullenness of the stranger who wanted to go with them too. The staff who were alive and loyal stayed in the village, told to wait there until the castle was safe for them to occupy.

The most basic part of the castle that could be salvaged and habitable was made so by Hiei and the stranger. The next logical step was to go get the liar and the twins, even though it was the last part Hiei desired. He missed the twins, but did want to miss the liar. She had been willing to throw away Mukuro's sacrifice based on lies and spite. He needed her back though. Near enough to make the pining go away so when the demon king tournament started. He needed to win. He needed to know, especially now, whether or not the liar was the cursed one or not. The stranger jostled him to go get her and to tell her he loved her finally to get her to come back.

After a quick word to the old healer so she could watch over the castle in their absence, Hiei and the stranger went to the Human World, to the old psychic's land. Each step he took made him dislike their plan even more, setting his temper aflame as he thought about all those lies she told to get her way. Her lies to him...

When they reached the temple, they were met by the detective, oaf, and fox outside of it. The detective looked cross, the oaf slightly confused, and the fox short tempered. The way they were standing was in direct conflict with them. They were protecting the liar, much to Hiei's distaste.

A short argument assumed between Hiei and the detective over the three of them coming back with him. When the detective would not even yield to let him see the liar who was just inside the temple. He could her and the twins in there.

Hiei escalated it to shouting because it would draw the liar's attention and likely would bring her out to face him, "she goes with me!"

"Not likely," the detective told him, arms crossed over his chest.

Hiei continued to be loud, drawing attention to their argument, "You can't force mates to separate! Don't even try! I'm not staying in the world any longer than I have to! I didn't just retake Hikari's castle from the rebels in that old council just to wait around for someone else to capture it!" That had to draw her out.

"I can go back my lord, " the stranger said in interruption. "Perhaps Kurama could accompany me while you sort out your mate troubles here."

The stranger's flirting at a time like this is was inappropriate. "Shut up Yasha. You're staying here where I can keep an eye on you," he told him. This was his first time in the Human World and Hiei would be held responsible if he did anything stupid sense he brought him.

"Kurama could," the stranger teased in a sing-song voice that was not appropriate for the tension in the area.

The detective was annoyed enough to nearly shout now as he hulked towards them, "Nanashi doesn't have to go anywhere with you!" He stopped just in front of them and pointed at the stranger. "And who is this guy?! Where did he come from?!"

The stranger voice had a sound of a smirk in it, "His past. He rescued me and my sister, and then robbed us."

The stranger was being such a nuisance. "He's none of your business!" Hiei told the detective. To the stranger, he said, "Yasha, shut your mouth or I will shut it for you." The last thing they all needed was for Yasha to run his mouth so much the detective decided to take a swing at him.

The detective did lash out, but at Hiei as he grabbed him by the scarf. "Do you speak to her like that?!" The detective was slower than expected as Hiei knocked him down and held him on his knees with a hand in his hair. He shouted, "get off me!" as he was knocked down.

The fox called out in an exasperated voice, "Hiei, put him down. This won't help you any."

Hiei shoved the detective down to the ground. The detective snapped at him, "he said put him down, not drop me."

Hiei rubbed his hand off on his cloak, thinking unavoidably how the liar's hair was never greasy like the detective's.

As if summoned by his thought of her, she appeared at the doorway to the entrance of the temple. "Shut up! All of you!" she shouted in a rage unlike her own, but it was familiar. She cracked her knuckles on her left hand. Hiei heard but ignored the stranger sucking in a sharp breath. She stared Hiei down as she shouted at him, "help him up! Now!" Hiei pulled the detective up by the arm while under her fierce gaze.

"My lady, are you feeling better?" the stranger called over to her. She gave him a sour look. "I'll take that as a yes." That man fake calm in a fire.

The liar stood before them, speaking. "No one is making decisions for me," she started. "I will decide where I live and who I live with." Hiei felt a short quell of panic. She had to chose him. He needed her close, even if he did not want her to be. She looked everyone before her over. "And since you lot decide you're going to argue about it without my input, then try to persuade me where I should go. The twins will go with me where ever I go." She looked ready to say something more, but held her tongue when Yukina stepped in line with her, placing her hand steadily on her forearm. She seemed to calm the liar down.

"Is she serious?" the oaf asked.

"Yes I am," the liar growled.

The stranger... "Well, if you want, we could travel where ever your heart desires. On my sister's dime or your mate's; no matter." He gave her a wink at the end of the statement.

She looked annoyed with him. "This isn't a joke," she said seriously.

The stranger kept going. "Kurama could chaperone. With him, I'll try to behave myself."

The fox spoke up, looking uncomfortable. "Since you can't stay with Genkai as you wish, you should go with Yusuke and Keiko." Now the fox had turned traitor. He knew the effects distance could put on mates and yet he was willing to advise the liar to do that... "They can help you with the twins and you can help them with their restaurant."

'Don't do it,' Hiei thought to her silently, wishing she would not chose that. She needed to be near him, not the detective.

"Hell yeah," the detective seemed excited at the prospect. "That'd be fantastic with how you can cook."

The liar bit her lip, meaning she was hesitating. A good sign. If she was hesitating, Hiei could still sway her to come back. He had to know... His mind went blank about how to convince her.

The oaf spoke before Hiei could think to do so. "Uh, I got nothing. I still live with my parents. I can't afford my own place. Or even to go to college full time for that matter."

The liar turned her gaze on Hiei while tensing her jaw. He looked up to her, but the second their eyes met, she looked in another direction. The stranger broke the silence that hung in the air. "Anything you care to say my lord?" he said with a tap on Hiei's back. Hiei gave him a cross look, still feeling tongue tied. Once he spoke, if he did not say something convincing enough, she might never return with him. "My lord, now would be the best time," the stranger hinted heavily.

"Remind me why I let you live?" Hiei hissed at the stranger. This was by far not the best time.

"I saved her life," he teasingly reminded him. "And you owe me. I want to hear it too." The stranger's face would be better off if he could never give a crooked smile again. This was not the time nor the place to hint at what he wanted him to say.

Hiei bit the bullet and closed his eyes. "I-"

The stranger cut in, "Oh come on now." He smacked him on the back. "That's not how you do it. At least look at her," he whined.

Hiei grunted at the nuisance next to him. The pressure he putting on him was mounting along with the tension in the area. "Not here," he breathed.

The detective cut in next. "This is ridiculous. Nanashi, where do you want to go?" he asked the liar. If she chose the detective over him, it was all over... He was angry with her, but he needed her close.

The liar hesitated. "I want to hear what Hiei has to say first. Then I'll decide," she said docilely.

"You may be waiting awhile," the stranger commented. "And I'm hungry. Miss Yukina, what did you make for us?"

"Yasha, I told you to be quiet," Hiei told him.

"I will once you say what you want to sir," the stranger countered.

Hiei gave an exasperated sigh at how annoying this conversation was going. Not only that, but the push to say something best said in private. Only the liar should hear him say that the first time, alone. "I'll tell her in private alright," he grumbled.

The stranger kept raveling, "here would be much better. If you want her to come home with you, you need to convince her. By the looks of her, it will take an awful lot of convincing to keep her from choosing her cousin over you. Or me for that matter. I think my offer is clearly the best one."

The push was too much. Hiei requested to the liar, "can I have a word with you in the woods?" He could tell her there, convince her to come back to him so she would be close enough for him to win the demon king tournament.

The liar shook her head at him without speaking. This did not look like it was going to work. He turned to walk away, but the stranger discreetly stopped him.

"Now or never. It needs saying," the stranger told him.

Hiei looked up at the liar. Meeting and holding her gaze. She looked disheartened. "I love you," he told her, wishing she was the only one to hear it.

The liar had her hands up by her mouth, unable to speak. She looked vulnerable and unsure of herself.

The detective spoke up instead, "What?! That is so not fair. You can't just drop the L card and expect it to trump my argument."

Hiei watched the liar intently, not wanting her to come back with him, but needed her back if he was to find out if she was the one from his curse.

"I need you," Hiei kept going, just letting the words pour out, true words to sway the liar. "Hikari's castle was sacked by rebel in the council in the minute you all left for the hospital. Part of it was burned. Your human comforts were destroyed. It's going to be hell to rebuild."

"Really?" the detective retorted before the liar could say anything. "The choice is renovate some crummy old castle with this asshole or me?"

The oaf spoke next, "wait, I'm confused. Didn't Yasha give her an option too?"

'Not a real one,' Hiei thought to himself.

"I don't know..." the liar barely breathed.

Yukina took the next turn to speak, "you don't have to decide now. We'll figure it out," she promised her. Even Yukina still allied with her, despite her lies. They were still close. Helping Yukina might sway the liar when his confession did not.

Hiei nodded at Yukina, but spoke to the liar. "Come back and I'll pay for her dream wedding to that oaf," he promised.

Both Yukina and the liar gasped in tandem. Yukina's hand on the liar's arm tightened its grip. What he offered was clearly something Yukina wanted. He decided to give it to her anyway, whether or not the liar comes back with him. But she had to come back...

The detective kept derailing his argument. "This is bullshit. I can't even afford my own wedding let alone pay for Kuwabara's wedding. Throw your high and mighty demon lord money somewhere else."

The oaf responded, "hey, I can pay for my own wedding. After I pay for school, finish it, and get my own place."

The liar looked first at the detective and then the oaf. Next she looked down and met eyes with Yukina briefly. Her gaze next shifted slowly up to Hiei. He could from the look in softened eyes that she had decided. He held his breath, waiting for her to speak, which could take a little while being that she turned mousy. She sucked in a trembling breath and rushed out, "pay for Yusuke's wedding to Keiko and Kuwabara's schooling too."

The detective and oaf spoke first, but Hiei did not hear them. He could have her nearby so he would not pine and would still be able to focus on training to win the demon king tournament. Then he could finally know...

"Deal," he agreed before she took the chance to back out. Now all he had to worry about was to handle having her so near every time he remembered her disgusting lies and how she nearly wasted Mukuro's gift...

So in the end, a surprising helpful handful came with Hiei, the liar, and the stranger. The twins went with them obviously, but also so did Yukina, the oaf, and the fox.

It was possibly unsafe to enter from the portal in the castle's basement, so they opted for the next closest one to the village. It was the one that the liar used frequently to go to and from the Human World to finish her schooling.

Once the castle came into sight, the lot that came with Hiei and the stranger seemed shocked by dead hanging from the trees and the ruined castle.

"It's worse inside," the stranger warned them. They went up to the front door and when the stranger pushed it to open, it fell over. "After my lord and cleared out the rebels, we came straight to you my lady." He was exaggerating the truth, leaving out the fact that clansmen helped them as well. He had asked Hiei keep silent about the clan so no one would question him about his connection to them. He felt very scorned when the large demon refused to let him go home.

They all stepped back into the entry way and looked at the ruined things that had been heaped in a pile that the cocky one planned to burn later.

"My books," the liar whimpered mournfully. "Some of those were my parents."

The oaf spoke next, "not to mention all your clothes. I think I see your wedding dress in there and-"

"You're not helping," Hiei halted him. So foolish. He looked over to Yukina. "This is who you chose?" he asked her. She looked at him a little too long before she nodded. "Hn," he grunted. She could do worse. He thought aloud, "If I could rekill every single one, I would." One in particular...

The liar asked, "wha... what... what happened to the staff?" She stuttered like a child.

Hiei stomached talking to her and explained briefly, "the ones that weren't in the anti-human rebellion either turned tail and ran or fought and lost. Those who ran are not welcome back. Those who fought were lead by your old kitchen bitch friend Midori." At the mention of the sprite, he made a mental note to check on her and the other women in the Spirit World to see if they were okay.

The liar kept speaking to him, "is she ok?"

"Alive," Hiei responded quickly, not wanting to go into the details. "Only ten stayed and fought back against thirty-fve. The three men were killed, but the women-" he stopped. The women who were not killed as well suffered a worse fate.

The stranger continued for him, "some of the rebels who especially disapproved of my lord the upstart bandit thought it fitting to commit rape in his castle's dungeons. The four surviving women were found there. Thankfully none of them were mated to in the process. We sent them to the Spirit World for healing. It's their choice if they want to come here or not." His voice was hollow as he explained such a difficult thing. A mute silence ripped through the pack of them.

"I'll kill them," the liar hissed out as she cracked a knuckle subconsciously. For some reason her actions seemed to unnerve Hiei, but he could not figure out why.

"They're already dead," Hiei informed her harshly. "I slaughtered them all myself," he lied. He wished he had anyway. "The rapist, I made them beg for death first. Each one several times over." He wished it were true. The less the liar knew about the clan the better. She could not be trusted with the truth obviously. Plus the stranger did not want her or the others to know about them anyway.

"Hey, what's that word written on the wall?" the oaf asked. "What's a hucker?"

"It's an insult," Hiei grumbled vaguely.

The stranger continued explaining for him, "it's a combination of the word 'human' and 'fucker.' It's a derogatory term for a demon who sleeps with humans."

Hiei liked all that happening less and less. "Enough talk. Get started." He was unsure where to begin exactly though.

The liar must have sensed his hesitation and took over. Yukina was quick to follow the liar's lead. She sent the oaf and fox to the Human World for supplies while the rest of them found places for all of them to sleep and beds to sleep in. They were found in staff's quarters. Hiei did dislike how the rooms were set up at the liar's lead though. She had set up one room and pushed the two twin beds together for the two of them to share. He was not going to share with her though. He needed her to be nearby, he did not want her to be nearby; especially so near by sharing a bed. He also did not like that Yukina would be so close to the oaf. He was uncomfortable with the idea that she could slip into his room if she wanted to. The thought of what could happen if that happened sent a shiver down his spine.

Both problems had a common solution. Hiei stopped the liar while the other went towards the miraculously undamaged kitchen area. The liar turned around and gave him a questioning look.

"Is that fool staying here tonight?" he asked her.

She frowned at him. "He has a name you know," she sassed. He disliked it when she used that tone. "I'm not sure. That's why a room is set up for Kuwabara too just in case."

"Then you will share a room with Yukina until he's gone," he decided. That was not a permanent solution to not sharing a room and a bed with the liar, but he could find another solution for that later.

"Why?" she pushed. "He's not going to do anything. Waiting until marriage is his idea."

"Because there is no way I'm sharing with him," he countered. "And he's not the one I'm worried about."

"Then put Kurama or Yasha with him," she suggested. "Yasha's been making Kurama uncomfortable with his suggestiveness anyway."

He wished she would just agree to share with Yukina so she could not insist he share a room with her. "You two like each other. Why is sharing a room with her suddenly so difficult? You shared one in the Dark Tournament."

The liar rolled her eyes and gave in. "Alright, I'll share with her." He stepped away from her after that, not wanting to be near her much longer. "You're welcomed," she sassed after him.

After a week of the group of them, along with a handful of those from the village, working together, the oaf finally left, but it did leave a problem for Hiei. He wanted the liar nearer, but did not want her right on top of him, which she was at the moment. Every moment reminded him of her lies and immaturity and both wasted so much for him. The rebellion quite possibly would never had happened if she had not lied to him. After a week's worth of being around her, he could not stand it anymore, so he pulled away and went away to train with the fox or the stranger if they would, and by himself if they would not. He still needed to win the tournament.

One night after he trained by himself and went back to his new room, he found the liar there, sleeping in his bed. She woke up immediately when he came in. Finally figured out how to sleep with her guard up.

He frowned at the sight of her. "What are you doing here? Where's Yukina?" The liar was supposed to be sharing a room with Yukina. He had hoped against hope that the liar would continue to share a room with Yukina after the oaf was gone. Yet here the liar was, laying in his bed.

Yet she did not just lay for long. She was up and scolding him harshly. "Why didn't you help us today with the repairs?" She had an almost cruel and unnatural tone in her voice.

"I've missed enough training for the tournament," he countered. "If I'm going to win, fixing sinks and shifting mortar is not going to help me any."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You live here too. You should help us."

"I already did," he pointed out.

She shook her head. "You need to continue helping."

He hung up his cloak and sword on the coat rack he had found in one of the overly damaged rooms. He yawned and side stepped her to get to the bed. He was so tired. Tired of training, tired of being around the liar, tired of living in a damaged castle, tired of not knowing...

"After the tournament," he promised to appease her. He slipped into the bed, laying right in the middle, and turned his back from her. She tried to pull his blankets from him, but he held them fast. "Leave," he grouched.

She tried again to pull the blankets away. "We need your help." He yanked the blankets back from her. "I'm not leaving until you promise you'll help us tomorrow."

He was glad to get the blankets back. The nights were rather cold and his room was drafty. Much too much for even himself. He hoped silently that the twins' room and Yukina's room was warm enough.

She was still there. He huffed under his breath and sat up. "Go to your own room. I'm tired."

She merely crossed her arms. "Another thing. Since Kuwabara is gone, why aren't we sharing a room?"

That was certainly not going to happen. "Not until after the tournament," he told her.

She stood her ground. "Bullshit. Move over." He disliked her newfound irresoluteness. "I'll make sure you'll be there to help us tomorrow."

She tried to get into the bed with him. It was the last thing he wanted her to do right now. He was out of the room with his cloak and sword before she even had a chance to follow.

Thankfully she did not follow him. He moved quickly, deciding to go to the nursery. The liar and Yukina, as well as two women from the village worked together to care for them. Hiei went in, knowing the liar would not be there. He saw an older woman with them. His girl had awoken, crying hungrily. Hiei stepped past the older woman and fed her himself. The older woman excused herself while he took over for her. Once finished, he sat with his girl on the ground. She reminded him of the good in the liar, not the bad. She rested easy in his arms, hot hands gripping at his scarf.

As he held his girl, he heard her boy wake up. Yet before he could even think to put his girl down and pick her boy, he heard someone enter the room. He watched stock still as Yukina stepped right over to her boy, pausing long enough to nod at him. She explained briefly that it was her night to stay with them. She tended to the boy and then brought him over with her as she sat down across from Hiei and his girl. She stared at him straight in the face, not blinking. Her face was blank. She seemed a mixture of tense, focused, and gentle all rolled into one. It unnerved him.

The sight of her boy in Yukina's lap showed the undeniable resemblance between the two of them; same eye color, same hair color, near enough the same face. Not to mention that both were ice demons and were, by ability, healers.

"Strange, isn't?" she broke the silence without breaking her gaze. "That a fire demon and a full human could have an ice demon child just as well as two fire demon children."

He began to tell her what he and the liar had agreed to say in case this happened, "the ice serpent-"

"There was no ice serpent created by the demon hunting alchemist," she cut. She knew the lie he was going to say and cut it down before he could even say it. She was not going to listen if he tried to keep down that path.

He thought quickly, trying to find a lie/half truth that would hurt her less than the full truth. "I don't know my parentage. I could any type of demon ancestor. Ice, water, wind, fox, hawk, or whatever."

She was not buying it at all. "You know half," she stated confidently.

She knew... He bit back the panic, not letting it show. If his girl had not been in his lap, he was unsure what he would have done. "Who told you?" he hissed, trying to hold the bite back in his tone. Her boy gave a small whimper in response to his sharp tone.

"You should have," she said non-threateningly. She paused to soothe her boy before continuing. "Besides, it doesn't matter. And you will not retaliate against them." He felt a rising suspicion that it was the liar. "Now..." she began...


	98. Chapter 98

Hiei continued training out in the woods by day and was hiding himself away in the undamaged tower rooms that used to belong to Mukuro at night. He dragged Yasha along to train with him most days, especially on the days were Kurama would not train with him. Yasha would bring him food as well, but only what Nanashi would let him. None of the food was cooked.

As Yasha approached him in the woods, holding the basket out for him, Hiei sheathed his sword and stepped over towards him. "Hello again old friend," he called out, setting the well packed basket down. "You do know you'll ruin your sword if you keep attacking the trees. Or they might fight back. Or you might awaken an angry pack of doxies. We're in the Demon World, so you never know."

"You're late," was all he replied. Yasha sniffled a small laugh under his breath. "You need to train more."

"I thought you were planning on yourself to win? Am I meant to only weaken the competition?" Yasha set the basket down and sat down on the ground himself. He nudge the basket with his foot over towards Hiei. "I've already eaten, but had to wait on this."

At the sound of food, Hiei's stomach gave a well timed growl. Yet he still wore a sour expression. "Nuts again? Or just an apple and a handful of berries?"

Yasha waited patiently. "Just open it," he teased.

Hiei reached over to the basket and opened the lid. The smell of the freshly cooked meal wafted in the air. He paused and looked over to Yasha suspiciously. "What did you do?" he asked point blank.

Yasha frowned at him. "What do you mean what did I do?"

Hiei looked down at the meal hungrily. "Nishi said I couldn't have anything she or anyone else cooked from the castle. Even after I let her pay to hire others to help repair in my place," he grumbled. "If you stole this..."

His willingness to follow his mate's orders, even though he was still angry with her, was cute in a way. "Not my fault you never really learned how to cook beyond some wild game burned black over a fire," Yasha said with a sigh. "Nanashi said you could eat this."

"So why is she suddenly feeding me real food," he asked irritably.

Yasha smirked, enjoying how flustered he was a little bit too much. He gave in before he got too flustered. "I may or may not have let it slip to your," he paused and added in a whisper, "sister," he went back to a normal voice, "that you were hungry for a cooked meal. Nanashi wasn't too happy with me once Yukina gave her an earful. So, long story short, you can get whatever you want now to eat." Hiei knelt down by the basket. "Are all the women who love you so temperamental or just three?"

It seemed to only take a few minutes for Hiei to sit down to devour the whole cooked meal as if he were starving. In part he was. A raw food diet was not something desirable. Once he was finished, he dumped the dishes back into the basket. He stood up.

"Come on," he said. "You need to train."

Yasha stayed sitting. "Sit down and let your stomach settle," he told him. Of course he still stayed standing. "You're obsessive. Over the training, over the blessing, with your deal with Minha... There's not much more room left in your brain for anything else I guess is there?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Get up," he said shortly.

Yasha sat still. "Why are you so obsessive to know Nanashi is the one from the blessing? Why don't you just decide it's her and be done with it?"

"I need to know," was all he replied.

"Why?" Yasha pressed.

He half growled, "because it has to be her."

Yasha studied him curiously. "Because you're a bandit who developed a stronger conscience after being exposed to a handful of humans from the Human World?" Yasha leaned forward. "But before that really took root, you stole someone for your own purposes... Because if she's blessed to love you, then you never really stole her from Jin. So that your main source of contentment in your life was not based on thievery or rivalry or threats so you could have her first, but rather her inability to chose who she fell in love with. And her lack of free will is a better option for you than your thievery because in that, you've done no wrong."

"Shut up and stand up," he responded. Yasha stood up, slowly on purpose. "You're not clever enough to figure that out on your own."

"Kurama is," Yasha responded honestly. "Before he knew of Minha's blessing, it did always puzzle him what exactly she saw in you-"

Yasha was cut off abruptly when Hiei's fist came in contact with his jaw.

Yasha staggered back and blocked his next strike. "You're much too short tempered when you're angry." Yasha wiped off his mouth where one of his teeth had caught his lip after the hit. "Takes a string of strong women to handle you doesn't it?"

"You run your mouth far too much. You and the fox," Hiei commented.

After that, the conversation grounded to a halt and the training began. When the evening came and they were finished, Yasha regretted 'running his mouth' because that made Hiei train him harder than before unfortunately. He wondered at how Nanashi survived her training with him. Yasha had to meet with Yukina afterwards.

Yukina was equally someone of a few words, but calmer and with a gentler air. While with her, he thought about what Minha and Hayate had told him to do if he wanted to come home. To make this demoness his mate. Or find another demoness just as suitable. A pity that was never going to happen. He doubted very much if he tried to do that, she and others would stop him before he even made the first bite.

Once he finished with Yukina, Yasha excused himself. He nearly went to his own room, but changed his mind as he heard faint sounds from Kurama's room one door over. Kurama had warned him that him that once the Demon King Tournament was over, he would be returning to the Human World. He could only pretend to be on a spiritual retreat to be away from his human job for so long. This fling had a definite end date approaching.

Still, Yasha stepped over to door and opened it without knocking. Kurama, having been standing near his bed and the door to his bathroom. He had taken off his shirt, socks, and shoes and was standing there with just a pair of pants on. He made quite an image. Yasha could hear his shower running and saw the light on in the bathroom. Kurama looked slightly startled and then not surprised at all.

"What are you doing here?" Kurama asked, looking a mix of annoyed and eager.

Yasha stepped through and shut the door behind him softly. He stepped over towards Kurama. "I could hear your shower running. You're wasting water." He stopped right by the head of Kurama's bed.

"The water takes a minute or two to warm up," he responded softly. "You know that." They had found that out together.

Yasha reached behind his shoulder and pulled his braid in front of him. He took the hair tie he had off and began to unravel the braid. "Are you cold?" Yasha asked. He looked down and noticed on the nightstand by Kurama's bed had a few tiny seeds set neatly down in a row. His hair was open to play with now.

"Cut to the chase," Kurama told him shortly. Seemed like everyone in the castle was short tempered tonight.

"If you would," Yasha muttered. He stepped over to Kurama and went straight in for a deep kiss. Cautiously he snuck his hands into Kurama's hair. When neither Kurama nor a vine stopped him, he tangled his hands into his red locks.

When Yasha broke the kiss and moved down to his neck, Kurama mumured, "we can't keep doing this." Yet he made no move to stop him.

"The tournament hasn't happened yet," Yasha countered, hoping he would not end it prematurely. He took a careful step away from Kurama and towards the bathroom. Kurama sighed, slightly frustrated in more ways than one. "So how long do you plan to waste water?" Yasha pulled off his own shirt, dropping it on the ground between himself and Kurama. "Because if you're not going to use it, then I will."

Yasha stepped into the the bathroom and stripped the rest of the way. Kurama watched him with an unreadable expression. Yasha felt like he was pushing his luck too far as he stepped into the narrow shower by himself. The water was warm, almost hot. It felt good and had a relaxing for his sore muscles. Hiei went far too hard on him tonight.

At the thought of his annoyance with Hiei and his single minded training, he heard Kurama moving and then saw him step into the shower behind him. He stood close, whether by choice or by necessity with how narrow the shower was, was unclear.

Kurama stepped up behind Yasha and pulled him back until his upper back made contact with his chest and wrapped his arm loosely around his waist. Yasha silently rejoiced at his actions. Kurama pulled Yasha's hair off of the left side of his neck and brought his mouth down with a trail of barely there kisses on it. Yasha turned his neck over the right, giving him more access. Kurama slid his free hand over his chest. Yasha sighed under his ministrations.

Kurama whispered in his ear, "I don't think you've ever been quiet for so long."

"Shut up," Yasha panted out as Kurama continued to thoroughly work his chest and waist over.

Yasha could not recall ever taking a lover who barely touched him, but was such a thorough lover all the same. Yasha began to breath noisily as Kurama's hand slid down and rubbed his hand teasingly along his thigh.

"What did you two talk about while you were training?" Kurama questioned him.

Yasha sighed. It was not the first time Kurama asked him questions while touching him like this. Seemed almost like asking questions was a turn on for him. "You don't have to feel me up to get me to speak about such things."

He moved to turn around, but Kurama sensed his movement and tightened up his arm around his waist. "If you don't feel like talking, then..." he preempted before shoving Yasha forward, "don't waste the hot water."

Yasha turned around as quickly as he could in the slick water on the floor and faced Kurama boldly. He pulled him over to him by the hand and kissed him under the steady flow of hot water. It turned into a bit of a play fight as Yasha kept trying to kiss him and touch him while Kurama made it a point to wash both of them. Once Kurama succeeded, the water had gone from hot to tepid.

With the water gone nearly cold, Yasha reached over and turned it off. He had himself nearly entangled standing up with Kurama while doing so. When he slid his hand down to his cock, Kurama stopped him, pulling his hand instead up to his hair. Before he could think to question what he was doing, Kurama had already knelt down in front of him. He slipped Yasha's cock in his mouth and sucked on it with the same gently thoroughness that his hands had earlier.

Yasha was quick to pant and moan breathlessly. Kurama pulled his mouth away just when it was getting good. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he commented, "you never answered my question." After his statement, he took Yasha back into his mouth.

Yasha struggled to answer, "we talked about... why... why he can have cooked meals again... and about his blessing... I told him... I told him...," he debated how to tell the truth. Talking was such a distraction from the pleasure. "I told him... what you think... the reason why you think... why you think he is... he is so... so determined... to know... Nanashi's the one... from the blessing..."

He bit back a pleasured scream as he came in Kurama's mouth. He did not want anyone else hearing the two of them. He all but collapsed to his knees himself as he knelt down beside Kurama. He noticed distantly that Kurama leaned forwards toward him and pushed his shoulders, making him slide back to the wall of the shower in an awkward sitting position. He captured Yasha's mouth, probing until he could get his tongue in his mouth. Yasha felt numb, taking a bit long than expected to react.

"Are you tired?" Kurama asked softly as his soft and certain hands began to roam again so soon.

"Well, considering..." he mumbled out and stopped talking altogether. Kurama's hand was roaming a little to close between his legs for comfort. "Perhaps we should step out of this cold and wet room shall we?" Yasha asked, pushing gently at his shoulder.

Kurama did move, but only moved him hand up to his thigh. "You're suddenly nervous," he accused.

"I am not," Yasha rebuffed.

"Have you ever been taken by another man before?" Kurama asked, carefully moving his hand back down between Yasha's legs.

"Of course," he lied. "Lots of times." He thought about the two times prior that Kurama had let him take him. Those were good recent memories.

"I'll take that as a no," Kurama said. "Is it worth a try?" he asked delicately.

Yasha debated in his mind what to do or say. "Here on the shower room floor would be a terrible place. There's hardly room for you to get on top of me," he halfheartedly teased. Yasha met his eyes, thinking fast.

"The bed would be more comfortable," Kurama suggested carefully.

He looked down beneath Kurama's legs. "Well, you are small enough. You can't hardly hurt," he teased with soft laugh.

Kurama did not look too amused as he pulled away and then stood up. "Are you coming?"

"Already did," Yasha teased right back. He rose up and stood with in the bathroom as they toweled off and then stepped into the bedroom.

Where the bathroom felt hot and humid, the bedroom was shockingly cool and dry. Yasha felt his mouth go dry in anticipation. Kurama guided him over and set him down on the bed, guiding him until he lay on his back. He kept a steadying hand on Yasha's stomach while he reached over to his night stand's drawer. He drew out the small bottle of lubricant.

"Are you sure?" Kurama asked down to him.

"Yes," he consented nervously. He had done this before, but had never been on the receiving end. Had not desired anyone enough to try that before.

Kurama had three of his fingers slick on one hand in no time. Afterwards, he brought one down between Yasha's legs and slide one finger instead of him. That was a slightly familiar feeling from a lover or two before, but Yasha had not let him get as far as he was about to let Kurama do tonight.

Yasha felt an odd mix of numb, nervous, pleasured as Kurama slid another finger inside of him. "Don't hold your breath," Kurama advised. He gave him a quick peck on his mouth. "Focus on breathing in and out deeply."

Yasha did as he was bid, tensing up slightly as Kurama slid a third and final finger inside of him. He sucked down a quick and deep breath. Kurama brought his mouth down on his more thoroughly, creating a distraction on one hand, and enhancing the pleasurable feeling on the other.

Carefully, he slid his fingers out and pulled his mouth to just hovering over Yasha's. "If we're doing this, do you want to be on your back or hands and knees?" He was looking him in the eyes at this question.

Yasha thought slowly. "Hands and knees," he barely breathed the answer.

Kurama pushed himself off of the bed. Yasha took the chance to turn himself over on the bed and bring himself up to his hands and knees. He hung his head down towards the pillow and drew his hands just under his forehead. He heard Kurama come up behind him on the bed. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing in and out deeply and slowly.

"Relax and breath," Kurama advised him. He nodded his head nonverbal. "Are you ready?"

"Go on. Before you get soft," Yasha consented.

Kurama either did not find that comment funny or could not be as gentle as expected. Yasha gave a sharp inhale and hissed out an exhale as Kurama slid inside of him, going very slowly in the beginning. Yasha focused on breathing slow and steady, even as Kurama began to speed up ever so gently.

Yasha had no clue how much time had passed. Kurama reached forward and pulled Yasha up to lean his back against his chest.

"You're bigger than I realized," Yasha said steadily, still focusing on breathing and staying relaxed.

Kurama had one arm wrapped around his waist and used his other hand to trail over his neck and chest. In his ear, Kurama teasingly whispered, "anyone is big to a virgin."

"You're not funny," Yasha told him. He leaned his head back onto Kurama's shoulder.

Kurama used his free hand and pulled Yasha's mouth to his. His kisses became more erratic. Just before he finished, Kurama laid his head down against his neck and shoulder and moaned as he finished.

Yasha pulled himself away let himself lay down on his bed, mostly curled up on his stomach. He felt numb, not sure what to feel really; empty, but contented. Kurama was quick to lay down next to him and faced him. He pulled him close and then turn to lay on his back. Guiding Yasha, he made him lay his head on his shoulder, arm over his chest, and leg over his leg.

"You like to cuddle too much," Yasha muttered, feeling a little too warm so close to Kurama.

In a nonverbal response, Kurama reached his hand up to his hair and stroked it.

Yasha felt vulnerable, breathing out what he was thinking without thinking first. "Mine."

A second after he said word, he felt Kurama tense up. In a surprise twist, Kurama turned his face towards and was kissing him fervently. He pushed Yasha onto his back as he leaned over him.

He pulled his head up and looked down at Yasha with a mix of soft and sadness. "I will make this very clear," he began. "I have no intention of becoming yours or anyone else. Not in the southern Demon World sense of the word."

Yasha swallowed thinking, feeling a deep sense of foreboding, as if he had been stupid enough to ruin this early. "What does it mean beyond a feeling of possessiveness of a lover?"

Kurama sat up. "What part of the Demon World are you from?" he asked.

"North of here. Originally," Yasha responded. "More refined than the likes of Hiei. He grew up in the deep south, back when he was with a pack of bandits."

"From north of the northern territory. Impressive," Kurama bemused. "History says the south was where the evolution of demons began. Where customs and culture began to develop. Such customs as mate claiming and olden terms of affection stem from the south."

Yasha pressed, wanting to figure out what made Kurama act so. "And what does 'mine' mean to a southerner?"

Kurama looked off into space as he explained. "The word 'mine' is shortened form of three words that are a term of endearment for a mate or a verbal claim of an intention to claim a mate."

"Well, what three words are they?" Yasha asked on bated breath. He sat up next to Kurama.

"My beloved one," Kurama said. "My beloved one. My loved one. My one. Mion. Mine. So ingrained in the culture that it is almost instinctive. Demons only use the term for a mate they love or an intended they are falling in love with."

"That's really just the southerners." Yasha reached over and took Kurama's hand. "Well for those north of the northerners, mine has equal in meaning to something like dear or sweetheart. Would that have been a better term to call you my dear?"

Based on the way he was not looking at him, Yasha struggled to figure out whether or not Kurama could tell he was lying.


	99. Chapter 99

Hiei traveled with the others, the liar, the twins, Yukina, the fox, and the stranger to the second Demon King tournament. Being so near the liar was strengthening, but hard. She was still a liar. She lied to him and others, and it nearly cost her her life. Mukuro gave her the chance to live an extended life and she was willing to waste it to cover for her lies.

He kept near her, even as the detective met up with them when another demon came running over to them. The wind mage came running straight towards the liar, dragging the enchantress behind with him. Hiei stepped in front of the liar, putting his hand on his sword protectively. Just because he was mad at the liar, that did not mean he wanted another man who had called her 'mine' near her. Not to mention the fact that he had tried to kill her in revenge against Hiei.

"Heya!" the wind mage shouted jubilantly in front of Hiei. Both the wind mage and the liar ignored him between them. The wind mage pulled, of all the people, the enchantress next to him and gave her a full on kiss in front of all of them to see. After kissing the enchantress, the wind mage turned towards the liar. The enchantress gave a quick as a flash scowl to see how fast the wind mage turned away from her. "I think you lot know Ruka. My mate. My soul mate." The wind mage pulled the enchantress back over to him and kissed her on the forehead in a show. "You were right Nanashi. I would find her someday. Just not as soon as I thought."

Hiei recalled being told both by the liar and stranger about what the wind mage was talking about; the soul mate nonsense. That the wind mage had believed her lies in the moment where he was about to kill her. She was rather a good liar.

"That's great. Congratulations," the liar managed to say to the wind mage.

The enchantress took advantage of the silence to draw attention to herself, "isn't it interesting that we've both slept with the others' mate?" she asked the liar point blank. "Before Jin, I never figured I would ever find a mate. No man was worth it. But he learned well enough and is a diffident trade up."

Hiei stared up at the enchantress in disbelief with how she just decided to reveal such a thing like that. He had only slept with her to get her to heal his arm enough for him to tame his dragon and she knew that. What the enchantress said seemed like a play to shake the liar up.

The detective was quick to congratulate Hiei on his sexual conquest. Hiei shot him a death stare. At a quick thought, with how happy go lucky the wind mage was with his mate in front of the liar and the detective and others so near her, Hiei stepped away from the tense moment before it could get to be too much. Besides, he and the stranger had planned to see the mate before the tournament started. She was here and would solidify their deal; the demon king title for the reading of liar's blood to see if she was the one from the mate's curse.

Being as close as they were, Hiei stepped over to the registration table that they had been heading towards anyway. He could just register himself first, get the stranger, and go meet the mate. From then on, all he or the stranger needed to do was to win the tournament.

But the liar had followed him. She jumped in front of him, a livid expression coloring her face. When he tried to walk around her, she stepped in time and mirrored manner with him. He scowled at her as he turned away from her. She snapped her hand out, and held fast to his arm in a firm grip. He shook her grip off and kept walking away. He did not get very far when he felt the firmer grip of the wind dragon in compact form wrapped around his upper arm. If nothing else, she was determined.

He turned around to face her. She looked equally livid with him as he had been with her the past few weeks. "Let go," he ordered. The wind dragon hissed at him as the liar remained silent. "Not here." This could wait, especially since he would rather have this conversation later rather than sooner.

"Fine then," she responded. Instead of letting him go like he expected, she dragged him via the wind dragon to an unoccupied area. He noticed that Yomi was nearby with a few of his men, but where she dragged him was as private as they were going to get. "Here," she stated, ready to have it out now. "When did you sleep with her? Did you cheat on me?"

"During the Dark Tournament," he answered. "And no. That was the same time Jin was trying so hard to fuck you. I'd hardly call that cheating."

She must have believed him because she called off her wind dragon. She was still angry though. She crossed her arms over her chest. "When were you planning on telling me this?"

He responded, "you hardly have a reason to be mad at my sleeping with someone else before sleeping with you. You weren't a virgin either." Unlike he thought originally.

She huffed, uncertain how to respond next. "You could have told me," she said in a jealous tone.

"Told you what?" a voice came from behind Hiei. The voice made his hair stand on end.

Hiei recalled that Yomi had also been someone who desired the liar for his mate. Being equal in cruelty to Mukuro, he was not someone Hiei felt comfortable so near his mate, even if he was made at her. Hiei turned around and stood instinctively and protectively in front of the liar.

"Nothing," the liar said quickly. "Ha-how are you?" she stuttered out, sounding rather like she was intimidated by Yomi as well.

"I'm alright. And how is the undeserving, high rising thief?" Yomi asked Hiei with a nod towards him. Some words considering they could describe Yomi just as well as him. "Or the human traitor for that matter?" he asked with a nod towards the liar.

The liar was quick to answer in annoyance. "Who are you calling a traitor?" she hissed.

"You," Yomi told her. "You were in my army last tournament. And suddenly," he snapped his fingers, "in bed and mated to Mukuro's soldier. I would call that betrayal on your part. To a bandit no less who seems to think he can rise above his place and get away with it. Tell me, in the Human World, which hand does a bandit lose when he is caught stealing? The left or right?"

Yomi was aiming low blows directly at the liar. Even if he was mad with her, Hiei did not like that first the enchantress and now Yomi were going after her verbally.

"Hey, I thought that we were friends," the liar said in a wounded voice.

"I forgot how naive you were," Yomi replied. "Hopefully you fight better than you struggle to match wits." The liar was not taking his verbal abuse lying down. She pushed Hiei to the side. She had the wind dragon out and it snapped its jaws and roared near one of Yomi's ears. He did not even flinch. "Is that meant to scare me?" Yomi was quick to reach over to the liar by the back of her neck and pull her forward towards him. The liar cried out in panic as her face was forced mere centimeters away from his face. Hiei froze, biting back panic as Yomi brought his mouth down to the liar's, nearly kissing her. If he did that, her body would rebel, in theory, to the infidelity. It had never been tested on a human before. Hiei would have to move fast enough to kiss her in that case in order to neglect the physical rebellion of the infidelity. He had a feeling that Yomi would enjoy trying to stop him from saving her in time if her body did indeed rebel. "This is how you scare someone."

"Get off my mate," Hiei hissed as he brought his sword against Yomi's neck. He may be angry still with the liar, but not angry enough for Yomi to try to harm and possibly kill her.

Yomi swatted the sword away like it was a fly, but still held fast to the liar. "I hope I fight the two of you. It will be so easy to win," he stated with an eerily calm voice.

Next, Yomi shoved the liar towards Hiei. She fell on top of him in a tangle, clumsily bringing both of them to the ground. His sword clattered clumsily to the ground away from her. Hiei untangled himself from her as quick as he could, should Yomi try anything else against either one of them.

Yomi continued speaking, targeting the liar, "if I could fight you both at once, it would be a worth while match. Especially he can't seem to stand the touch of you. Does that happen to all mates when they lose a child because the female is much too weak?"

The liar, still on the ground, covered her mouth with a gasp. She shook her head and whined out, "I hate you," at Yomi.

Yomi seemed to enjoy her response. "Do you hate anyone who you think is your friend?" He stepped towards her, but she scrambled back. He reached her anyway and kicked her foot softly. "Must make matehood real difficult for you."

Yomi was being to harsh with her. Hiei stepped between them, taking his sword in one hand, and pulled the liar to her feet with the other. He put his arm in front of her and drew his sword with the other. He aligned his sword with Yomi's neck again. "She's mine. Don't touch her. Ever again."

Yomi did not even flinch. "Fighting is not permitted outside of the arenas." He pushed Hiei's sword away with little effort. "I hope to match up against either of you; preferably both. One at a time would be so easy. And once I win the tournament, I'll take everything you own in the Demon World and claim that territory as my own."

After that, Yomi just simply walked away from them after all those threats. Not threats, words, empty words. He would not win anyway. Hiei was going to win, not Yomi. Yomi was going to burn instead for what he said. Hiei could only think of a half a dozen potential opponents he would need to use his dragon against, and Yomi was one of them.

The liar watched him walk away, fuming herself. She gave a testy hiss and moved to follow after him. Hiei grabbed her hand and held her back.

"Leave him. I'll kill him in the arena," Hiei vowed. "That'll shut his smart mouth up."

The liar turned around and yanked her hand away from his as she faced him. "Not if I do first," she declared. "I changed my mind. I'm fighting."

He studied her face curiously, not sure what was more unbelievable; the fact that she changed her mind about fighting in the tournament or that fact that it took an argument with Yomi give her the motivation. The only problem was she was too weak to fight. She had not been training since the day she found out she was pregnant. That was months ago.

"What? You can't!" he hissed as quietly as he could. "You haven't trained since-" he bit his tongue before he finished his sentence. She was still sensitive about the consequences her lies and near death caused.

She shook her head. "I don't care. I'm not weak and I'm not going to let him speak that way to me," she told him. She cracked the knuckles on her left hand. "Or you," she added as an afterthought. She had an almost cruel look in her eyes.

"I don't know if I should stop you. But I won't," he told her. The idea that she was going to fight in the tournament, made him nervous, but it would also increase his chances of winning if she fought long enough to weaken the competition. He now had a better chance of winning. Plus, he did recall enjoying watching her fight before. She had a sensual grace about her when she fought, especially when she used the wind or her dragon's wings.

Once they had registered for the tournament, there was a lull between that and the first preliminary rounds. The stranger found him and let him know that his sister the mate was here, waiting for him privately in the king's castle for him.

Before Hiei could walk away from the stranger, he asked, "wait, after one of us win the tournament, how are we supposed to get Nanashi to go to Minha to read her blood to see if she is the one from the blessing? You never told me how you were going to convince her to just that."

No idea came to his mind still. "We'll figure that out later," he told the stranger dismissively.

"That's not going to work," the stranger told him. "Do you really expect her to just follow you because you ask her to?"

"We'll figure it out later," he told him again. The liar could be convinced in the moment he hoped. If he needed to beg her, he would.

The stranger pressed his plan again, "I could order her to-"

Hiei rounded on him. "No!"

"-only to follow us and meet Minha. That's all-"

"No!"

"-She would follow us, no questions asked. Minha would read her blood, find your answer that you're so desperate for, and I would never touch her again. It's not like I would order her to do something that would seriously harm her."

"You will not touch her," Hiei told the stranger. "If you ever try to make her follow your orders, even one as simple as that, it will be the last thing you ever do."

The stranger clicked his teeth. "Find me when you can't convince her then future king. Go have fun with Minha then."

Hiei went on to find the mate, worried in the back of his mind how exactly he could get the liar to meet with her afterwards. He still had no clue what to do as he located the mate in the castle with her guard, the beauty.

The beauty was alert, with an eager and excited look in her eye while the mate was calm. Both were cloaked in heavy black robes. The mate seemed excited as well when came into the room and shut the door behind him. She sat at a table, hastily writing upon a piece of parchment while the beauty stood nearby, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

The mate looked up at him excitedly and she set her pen down. "Hello. I thought you've forgotten about this meeting," she called over to him. "The current king was rather willing to accommodate the two of us to watch the tournament. How soon does the tournament start? Ayane is rather excited about the idea of watching the fights. I told her she could once the fights started as long as she keeps a low profile."

"Soon," he answered.

"How long will it last again?" the mate asked curiously.

"Until I win," he answered.

"So confident," the mate mused. "And then I get the title?"

"So long as you confirm if Nanashi is the one from the curse. And it has to be before I sign the title over to you, not after," he replied.

"Of course. Sounds like I trust you more than you trust me." He did not like the excited look in her eye. "Since we've been making deals, have you thought more about the other deal I proposed?"

"No," he responded, catching her meaning immediately.

The mate stood up and gave him a surly look. "My son is the future leader of the Hayato Clan. He's already a good enough future match for matehood with your daughter just based on that. And while she is half human, and an outsider, she's from very different stock than the future women in my clan. Besides, the research I have down on half bred children is that they tend to be able to do have multiple children. As if they inherit the human ability to over breed without issues carrying children from full demon mates." Hiei rolled his eyes as she once again repeated such a long winded explanation, and yet she still kept talking. "And once I am Queen of the Demon World, my son will be a prince like his ancestors on my side. With her future in leading Alaric, they would be two very mates ruling across the Demon World. You can't tell me you wouldn't all that strength and power for her?"

Tempting, but in the back of his mind he knew the liar would hate it. His girl would not get a choice in who she could mate to if he agreed. "No," he stated simply.

"Why not?" she asked that questioned every time he told her no to this.

"My mate would not approve," he told her once more.

She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "One day you'll regret telling me no to this."

"Do you need anything else?" he asked her abruptly, getting tired of her and this conversation.

"No, you may go," she told him dismissively. "I'll see you with your mate after the tournament."

He left the mate and the beauty and tracked down the others, staying near enough to the liar to be comfortable. She stood near the fox, looking nervous and excited, very similar to how the beauty looked about the tournament as well.

Time passed slowly until they finally all found out their preliminary battle groups. Hiei's was one of the first ones while the liar's was one of the last. Hiei won his easily, so did the stranger thankfully.

Once finished, both of them, along with the fox and others watched the liar's match. Hiei felt drawn to watching her, not sure why he was so excited to watch her fight. On one hand, he was still angry with her, but on the other hand, he enjoyed watching her fight. She did look terrifying with her dragon's wings on her back.

He watch the liar, wind dragon out as an ax, land next to and stand side by side with the king's mate. The liar looked over to the king's mate and nodded to her. He watched her, watched both of them as they teamed up and cut down or chased away all the demons on their plain. He had almost forgotten how the liar looked when she fought. When she was confident she could win, she was confident and careful. Mixing the two together, gave her a unique like grace that made him feel breathless.

The liar's fight was not over yet. Now only her and the king's mate remained to duke it out. The liar lost a good deal of confidence when their brief alliance ended. She had the wind dragon up around her neck and she kept the king's mate from breathing. That would deplete a lot her energy, but would also allow a chance at a quick victory against the king's mate.

Yet the king's mate was not going down without a fight, even as she clawed out her throat, trying to will it breath again. She charged at the liar, attacking her outright. The liar could hardly block the king's mate's attacks and choke her at the same time. Hiei winced and half heard the stranger murmur something inappropriately when the king mate's fist came in contact with the liar's face, making her nose gush blood immediately.

The liar nearly lost her focus on choking the king's mate as she brought her hands over her nose and tried to stagger back. The king's mate kept wailing on her, but she took and kept focused. The king's mate was tiring and staggering herself while Nishi kept standing. The king's mate fell before her, punching at her shins. Nishi stepped away from the king's mate as her upper body pitched forward to the ground, clawing at it as the ten count boomed around them.

When the ten count ended, the wind dragon disappeared from Nishi's neck and she hunched over, hands on her kees, breathing deeply herself. She looked worn out. The king's mate pulled herself up to her knees. Nishi held her hand out towards the king's mate and helped her up.

The king's mate leaned against Nishi. "Fuck... human..." was all the cameras picked up from her.

Hiei watched mutely as Nishi wiped the fresh trail of blood from her nose and then helped the king's mate get off the plain they fought on. The way she fought would have made Mukuro proud. The way she helped the king's mate after the fight made him proud.

"Hiei," he heard the stranger's voice from behind him. He jumped, and tore his eyes away from Nishi on the screen. "Nanashi's fight was the last one of the preliminaries. They've picked the slots for the one on one battles that will be starting soon. Your's has, well," the stranger paused to give an intrigued smirk, "been decided."

Hiei glanced back at the screen Nishi had been on, but it was empty. He turned away and stepped around the stranger, moving in quick strides until he saw a screen announcing who would be fighting who in the upcoming brackets.

He felt like he could not breath now when he saw Nishi's name next to his in the slots. He had to fight her next...

He swore under his breath.


	100. Chapter 100

Hiei looked across the rocky desert plain for him and Nishi to fight. Of all the opponents he would have had to face today, she was the last one he wanted to face. It created a dilemma for him. He had to win to find out if she was the one from the curse. He had trained her himself, so he knew what to expect from her. So now he had to win, but since she was his mate, he had to do it in a way that did not make her seem weak since she was human. There other demons here who would look at her as a weak thing that would make a good meal rather than the fighter she was.

Nishi stood across from him, antsy air around her. She clearly was nervous about fighting with him. He hoped she would behave the same way she did when she fought the demon king's mate; fair in the fight and when the fight was over, back to her compassionate, sweet, and helpful nature.

This was still a fight he wished not to have. "It's not too late to surrender," he called over to her. If she surrendered from the fight, it would look more like she was supporting him without a fight than her looking weak. But of course she would not do that. She shook her head. "I won't go easy on you," he warned her. She stood her ground before him, a determined look in her eyes.

The buzzer for them to start sounded. He decided to make this fast as he threw down his cloak and headband. He would be able to know every thought, plan, or tactic she would do. He could appear the superior fighter, but based of ability rather than strength.

He drew his sword and charged her. She was used to him attacking her this way. She dodged him on the run, using the wind under her feet to speed her up so he could not hit her. She was just trying to get away from him, not really knowing which way she was running. Just a bit farther and she'll fall off the edge. She'll look foolish, but not weak.

In her mind, she knew he could read her mind, so she decided to rely on her instincts and nothing else in this fight since he could read her mind.

It frustrated him because she knew better. "Using your instincts to fight me won't work," he snapped at her. "You resort to your bad habits. Ones I failed to break you of."

She made no response, but kept dodging backwards. Her damned wind dragon caught on to where she was heading for. 'Mistress, the edge!' it warned her.

She gave a small gasp, glancing back at how precariously close she was to the edge indeed. She realized what would happen if she got too close to it. Her mind was forming a plan when she stopped at the edge, turned and faced him, and let out a loud scream. He paused, thinking he might have hurt her, but he had yet to touch her with his sword. That was when she jumped. As she jumped, he saw her plan in her mind, to grab him and throw him off the edge, and swung his sword at her to stop her plan before she could execute it.

He missed her as she jumped. She launched herself backwards off the edge, unfurling the wind dragon's wings upon her back. Her instincts drove her to kick the sword from his hand, creating a loud crack as his wrist was broken in the process. She had also unbalanced him, making him nearly fall off the edge had he not caught the ground with his left hand in time.

He felt certain it would only be a matter of seconds before she would pull him off the edge and he would lose the match. She did not though. He pulled himself back up over the edge and onto the ground. When he was up, he saw her throwing his sword off the edge. It made him angry. If she were smart enough, she should have thrown him over the edge instead.

He ran over to her, now wingless. He kicked her in the small of her back, making her stagger away from the edge. She rounded on him, looking at him in surprise.

"You had me hanging off the edge and you didn't send me over," he hissed at her disbelievingly. "You won't get that chance again."

He charged at her next, avoiding using his right hand as much as possible. He still had her on the run, but not as much as before when he had his sword.

Nishi started to think about the sand beneath her feet and then screamed.

"Shut up," he hissed at her as he struck her across the jaw.

She went down to the ground hard, but bounced right back up again, with the wind dragon around her neck. She had a handful of sand that she threw it in all three of his eyes. It each one burned and watered as he could hardly see while they fought. This time she attacked him, thinking about how she now had the advantage in the fight finally.

"You have no advantage!" he shouted at her in frustration. He assumed their fight would be over in this amount of time. "You can get rid of my sword, break my wrist, and blind me, but I won't give up that easy." He needed to win, without tiring himself out in the process.

When he blinked most of the sand from his eyes, he was able to take the upper hand back in the fight, trying to wear her out faster than she could wear him out. She tried to throw more sand at him, but every time she bent down, he stopped her. Small favors she was more unfit than he was. She would not be able to match him much longer. Yet now she was determined that if she did not win the match, then at least she wanted to wear him out as much as possible so he would be tired in his next match. That had him fed up with her.

"Give up! You won't win," he told her as she tried and failed to block one of his punches.

"Never!" she shouted back obstinately. "If I can't win, I'll make sure you won't," she promised as one of her strikes landed.

He felt his temper flare, vision nearly going red. "You plan to wear me out? Is that it?" He kicked her rib cage.

"Yes," she hissed out honestly. She was acting like a foolish child again. Just like she did when he caught her in her lies. "And afterwards you can run away and avoid me, your children, and anyone else you damn well please!" she added with a slap across his face.

She did not even realize she was reason he was so angry with her. Her and her lies and her willingness to waste Mukuro's gift.

"I don't avoid you!" he yelled at her. Training took precedence, especially when she went from not wanting her near him to his dislike of being around her.

"You say you love me," she spat in his face. "And then run off and do as you please! And I'm stuck rebuilding your home for you! Just words to get me to do what you want, nothing more!" She punched him across the jaw. She knew nothing. Seemed to understand nothing. Could not seemed to piece anything else together.

"Is that what you think?!" he asked her disbelievingly.

"It's what I know!"

"You're wrong!"

"I'm not! When things get hard, you disappear when you don't get your way. And I'm stuck dealing with everything! Alone!" She had no idea how foolish she was indeed. His vision waxed and waned red.

"You act like I've never done anything for you. Never given you anything. Never sacrificed anything for you!" He shoved her forward as hard as he could.

Instead of charging right back at him, she used the energy from his shove to call up her wind dragon's wing and take to the air, running away from him midair. Now she was out of reach of any attack he could try save one. One he was planning to save for Yomi or someone else. At least in all his training with the large demon, he had bypassed the passing out stage after using his own dragon.

She was also out of ideas. She flew just avoid fighting him. She had used too much energy fighting the demon king's mate and was now low on her energy. She was worried she would not be able wear him out much longer. If she landed, she knew he would attack her. If she did not land, she would run out of energy. She thought about taking the air from his lungs, but she had too little energy left to do that.

He needed to end this match with one way to do it. With careful control, she would survive and he would win to fight another match. She would survive, had seen others survive his dragon. Survive, but he would win. He began summoning up his own dragon, warning it that if it decided to fight, that it could not kill her. Wound her, but not kill her. It stirred, debating whether or not to listen. It decided to agree because it wanted to fight.

"Look whose running now!" He shouted up at her, vision going and staying red. "Land and choke me. I dare you! Or don't and wait until you're too tired to fight with the wind dragon. Only one of us is moving in this fight," he warned her. "and it's me." She was suddenly nervous as she was picking up on his meaning. "Either bring the fight down here to me or I'll bring it up to you."

If she decided to give up the fight now, he would let her seeing as how what he was about to do was risky. She had fought long enough to prove she was not weak. And then she figured out what he planned to do.

"Exactly mate," he called up to her as black flames danced across his right arm. His wrist twinged as he tightened his fist. It was a distraction that made his control over his dragon wane. "I think I should be honored that I would have to use this attack on my mate. I planned on saving this for Yomi, but you're too damn stubborn to know when to quit. You have five seconds to land and face me or suffer the consequences." He gave her time to surrender.

And yet she was stubborn enough not to. For how smart she was, she let her stubbornness get in the way of her intelligence. "You wouldn't!" she shouted at him. She realized he would though, but she hoped he would not.

He began to count down, "five..." As he counted, she and her dragon debated about what to do and how to turn the dragon away. "... four..." he really wished she would just give up. "...three..." she was panicking internally. "...two..." She was not going to back down. "...one..." She made her plan at the last moment as he shouted, setting loose his dragon, "Black Dragon Hellfire!"

His dragon flew at her in the sky in a rush. It had one desire, to kill, but with his control of it, it bit back the desire to kill her. All he would allow it to do was send her off the edge of the plain. Nishi dropped to the ground, making a staggering landing on her feet. His dragon followed her. Just as it was about to get her, she summoned up her dragon as large as it could be. The two dragon met it a fight of tooth and claws. Hers was smaller and less powerful. His dragon shoved hers and her backward. His dragon felt a resurgence in its desire to kill, not Nishi but her dragon. Now it was his turn to panic as he might not be able to stop it after he set it free.

"Give it up and I'll call it off!" he shouted over to her. His dragon's desire to kill hers was palpable. He was struggling to control it so it would not attempt it. He tightened his right fist to reign it in, wincing as his wrist protested with pain.

He told her to give up. Her dragon told her to give up. And yet she screamed, "No!" She refused to give up without a fight, even when she would never be able to win.

He felt on the verge of losing control of his dragon. It wanted to kill her dragon, a rival dragon, but he refused to let it. "Fine! Have it your way!" he told her. 'Don't kill either of them,' he ordered his dragon he let it go to attack her.

Her dragon could not defeat his, so hers turned and cover her up with its body. His dragon shoved her dragon and her to the ground amidst her unsavory screaming. Not being allowed to kill either one of them made it angry, so knocked the two of them over and then it flew off into the sky.

She and her dragon had still been burned. Her dragon was badly burned while her legs were burned. She screamed and screamed in pain while the ten count boomed over her. She rolled on the ground, trying to put the black flames out. It did not work. She tried to beat the fire with her hands, but she only managed to set her hands ablaze. Only he would be able to put out the flames. She was in pain and she was in terror, but she was alive and he had won. And after he won every match, he could finally know if she was the cursed on or not.

And it still would not be worth it. Even in her lies, her near waste of Mukuro's gift, his desire to know if she was from his curse; all of it was not worth having to watch her set ablaze with his own flames. Her screams seems to bore straight into his soul. He never wanted to hear her scream like that again.

The ten count had ended. He ran over to her, aiming to help her in some way. "Stop! You're just spreading the flames!" he told her as he hastily took off his undershirt and smothered the flames over her hands. He put out the flames on her legs too. Yet she still kept screaming. Her dragon did as well. It got the brunt of the flames and was clinging to life itself. Nishi did not have the energy to sustain it so it could heal. "Here! Take my energy!" he told her dragon, letting it take his energy, just enough to heal. All while Nishi kept screaming in pain from her burns.

She screamed and begged for the fire to be put out or to be killed instead. When he explained to her that the flames were already gone, that she would just have to face the burns, she still screamed about it as he carried her to the healers.

Nishi just kept screaming. Even begged for death in hopes to escape the burns that forced her to stay conscience and face the pain. All he had down was just let his dragon knock her and her dragon down and pass over them, and yet her legs and hands had been badly burned in the process. He shuddered to think what would have happened if it had ignored his order and attacked her directly with the intent to kill.

He took her straight to the healing tent to be taken care of. Yukina ran over to them with her boy in her arms. "Get her on the ground now."

Hiei laid Nishi down, feeling sickened as she kept screaming and he caused her current torment. If he did want revenge on her for her lies, this was the last way he would want to do it. He should have just her run out of energy and drag the fight out that way instead.

He struggled to imagine how he was going to get her to the mate now as he watched her boy and Yukina heal her. Her boy ran out of energy first, falling asleep against Nishi. Yukina ran out of energy next. She did stay by Nishi's side, speaking to her soothingly. After his shouting for two more healers, time dragged on as Nishi was healed.

When her screaming got to be too much for him, he covered Nishi's mouth. Yukina punched him feebly and told him to stop that. When he uncovered her mouth, she was now just whimpering as she was being healed. She was almost fully healed now, which was good.

He had been staring at her without realizing she had been for however long staring right back up at him. "You are way too stubborn mate," he said as he met her soft brown eyes.

She was fully healed now. She moved to sit up. He jumped to assist her, trying to ignore the spark that went through him when he touched her. For the first time he could remember, she flinched at his touch and pulled away from him nervously, bringing her boy into her arms as she did so. She turned her back on him.

He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stood up. She did not want to be touched by him or near her. No one could blame her. He stood up. "I need to rest for my next match," he said, unsure what else to say to excuse himself. He straightened out his limbs. He heard and sense someone coming behind him in a huff. "Yasha?" He assumed the hand on his shoulder was the stranger's.

When he was turned around, he saw the detective with the most furious look on his face. "You set her on fire!" the detective roared as he punched Hiei across the jaw. Hiei staggered, reaching for his sword, but remembering as he touched his empty sheathe where his sword was not; not by his hip. "You bastard! You lying bastard!" The detective try to punch him again.

The detective was angry, so he was off guard. Hiei took the chance to flip him over and onto the ground. Next, he brought his foot on the detective's neck, trying to end this out of bounds fight before any in the tournament committee or the king saw them. He was not about to let the detective get him disqualified from the tournament.

The detective kept yelling at him, "you say you love her, that you need her, and then you try to kill her."

"I could easily snap your neck here and now," he threatened the detective who really needed to shut up before he drew attention to them. He glanced over at Nishi, who still sat on the ground holding her sleeping boy close. "But it would upset my mate too much. Who entered that arena knowing full well I would not hold back against her and what I can do," he half told the detective and half reminded Nishi. He had held back on her where his dragon was concerned, but given the evidence of what it did to her...

"Hiei, stop please," Nishi asked him in a hoarse whisper. Nishi rose to her feet, facing him in a meekly challenging way. Her boy slept on in her arms.

Yukina was the one who moved though. Yukina pulled Hiei away from the detective. Hopefully no one who was important saw this squabble the detective started. The detective jumped up, still looking rather angry.

"Well, well, well," a demure voice called out near them. Hiei felt sickened all over again as the enchantress approached them. The smug look on her face informed him that she saw the whole thing. Nishi pulled her boy even closer, her nose twitching distastefully. "Do my eyes deceive or were the two of you," she said with a malicious grin on her face when she pointed at Hiei and the detective, " fighting outside of the tournament." She raised her voice, "isn't that against the rules?" Others milling around them were watching them now. The current demon king was one of them. The enchantress beckoned him over to them, pulling herself right next to him in a borderline flirtatious manner. "Ah, Enki. How are you my good king?" she breathed demurely. "What happens in your glorious tournament if two fighters purposefully fight each other outside of the brackets?"

The demon king took a heavy moment to think. "They're disqualified," he commented.

The enchantress gave a smile that was both beautiful and vicious. "Well, that's too bad," she said in a fake pout. "Because I just saw these two," she pointed at Hiei and the detective again, "brawling not even a minute ago. I guess they're out of the tournament. Which is too bad considering my Jinny was supposed to fight the human boy next. I guess he gets to advance with a fight right?"

Hiei felt his mouth go dry. If he was out of the tournament, all he would have to rely on now is the stranger to win, which was a long shot.

The detective jumped to defend them faster than he jumped to punch Hiei in the face. "You're kidding me. I didn't hurt him or nothing."

The demon king looked over at them with a heavy stare. "Did you attack him?" he asked the detective.

The detective squirmed a little bit. "Well, uh, yeah. But only because he set Nanashi on fire," the detective countered.

"I set lots of people on fire," Hiei huffed.

The demon king turned to him and questioned him, "did you fight back?"

Hiei felt defensive. "He attacked me."

The demon king sighed disappointingly. "Well then, I'll go tell the officials you're both disqualified from the tournament. It's only fair."

"What?" Hiei and the detective said in tandem disbelief.

Hiei bit back panic. He could not be disqualified. Not like this. Not after what his dragon had done to Nishi so he could keep going in the tournament.

"How can that be fair?!" Nishi cut in in a controlled shout. Her boy stirred in her arms, but did not wake up. Hiei wondered who she was jumping to defend more. "Neither is seriously injured. Hiei was only defended himself." The enchantress gave her a mean smile and winked at her. Nishi barred her teeth in nonverbal response.

The king was quick to round on her. "Your mate fought back. Rules are rules. These are the rules Yusuke sent up in the original tournament."

"Oh yeah, I kind of forgot about that..." the detective mumbled in embarrassment. How thick was he that he broke his own rules?

This could not be happening. It was too stupid to be happening. The detective was a cheating idiot, the enchantress was a scheming bitch, and the king was a push over. Hiei went to where the officials' table was to demand they over rule the demon king's foolish decision. The detective and the demon king came with him, much to his distaste. The officials sided with the king like nothing more than a pack of sycophants. When Hiei threatened them, they threaten to permanently ban both himself and Nishi from any future tournaments. The king supported their threat, which gave the sycophants a bolster. No matter how much time passed with him trying to convince them, it was all a waste.

He felt his temper raging, even though his dragon drained him had earlier. He was lucky enough that he was awake after using his dragon anyway, but then again the large demon had trained him to fight on and stay awake that. He turned away from them all, feeling the desire to set the detective on fire next, but let it pass.

The detective may have just ruined his best chance to win the tournament for the mate, but he still had a small chance. He needed to find the stranger right away and see how he could prep him for his next match.

He walked right passed a moaning and crying enchantress with the wind mage impatiently trying to shush her. He scanned the area around them for the stranger, who usually hung around to watch drama unfold. He saw Yukina looking confused and worried as she held her sleeping boy in her arms. He almost did not stop, but when he realized he did not see Nishi with her, he did halt.

"Where's Nishi?" he asked Yukina as softly as he could manage so to not draw attention to himself even more.

"I don't know," Yukina shook her head. "She attacked Ruka-"

"What?" he hissed at her.

Yukina looked a little nervous. She pulled her boy closer to her chest. "Ruka was laughing at you, which made Nanashi very upset. She knocked her down, pinned her to the ground, well, yanked a little bit of her hair out. Then Yasha came over and he well, it's kind of hard to explain..."

Hiei felt his blood drained from his face. "What did he do? Every single detail."

Yukina nodded. "He knelt down next Nanashi, touched her upper arms, and whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear. Then they stood up, he whispered to her again, and he walked away. She followed him without any fuss. After he spoke to her, she wasn't acting natural at all."

"Did he have his gloves on?" Hiei asked her in breathless whisper.

"I don't remember," Yukina said with a puzzled frown on her face. She closed her eyes. She opened them again quickly. "No, he wasn't."

He felt panic threatening to choke him. He turned around, looking all over for either of them. "Which way did they go?"

"That way," she nodded behind him.

He turned on his heels and ran in the direction to pointed. He tried to sense where Nishi was at the moment. He sensed her in the castle and ran pill mill for where she was.

Hiei reached the room the three of them were in. The door was locked, so he kicked it open. Before either of them could move, he crossed the room, and shoved the mate against the wall behind her. She looked absolutely terrified, more so than she had been when he robbed her so many years ago. He ripped his head band off in a hurry. She knew she was caught in the wrong and from her mind, he read that she knew when her mate found out about what she tried to do, he would be livid and tell her she deserved whatever Hiei decided to do to her in retaliation.

The stranger broke the silence. "Ah, my lord. Nice to see your typical entrance."

At the sound of the stranger's voice, he was reminded that he would have to deal with him later. The mate was a more pressing matter though. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, whether or not Nishi was the woman from the curse, but she refused to think about it. She was thinking about anything else she could. She kept wishing she had not allowed the beauty to go off and watch the fights rather than keeping her with her.

Hiei had enough of the mate diverting her thoughts. "You read her blood? Is it her?" he asked her directly, desperate to know the truth after years of wondering. The mate desperately tried to keep her mind trained on the beauty, thinking about how powerful she was. "What blessing did you try to give her? Answer me?!" He shook her for good measure. Hopefully one of the two distractions would make her resolve to not think of the answer slip.

The mate squirmed, panic stricken. She wanted to be rescued. "Yasha quick," she called out. "Tell his mate to save me. Tell his mate to attack him!" She was desperate to do anything to hold onto her leverage against him over this curse.

Hiei pinned the mate to the wall with one hand on her neck. She would still be able to breath. He turned around to face the stranger. "Did you touch her? Did you enchant her to your will?" He silently dared the stranger to lie to him. The stranger avoided eye contact.

"Yes he did!" the mate forced out.

"I'll deal with you later," he warned the stranger. He was unsure what exactly he would do though, be it kill the stranger or cut off his hand or something else...

He turned back around, ready to force the answer out of her mind if he had to. "Now, tell me is it her? And what blessing you planned to place on her?" The mate squirmed, trying to keep her mind trained on the beauty. When that was not working, she kept thinking a lie; the beauty was the one from the blessing. The beauty was the one from the blessing. That was a ridiculous notion. "Think the truth or else." She whimpered as her mind could not take it anymore. She let go and thought the truth. "It wasn't her..." The thought was unbelievable... He turned his head back over to look at Nishi, who had just been standing shell shocked in the room. "I was so sure..." Now the two things he was sure of was Nishi wasn't cursed, but he was a thief. He stole her from the wind mage.

Nishi studied the scene before her, clearly wondering what was going on. Wondering how so much that the mate revealed to her could be hidden from her for so long. He could see in her mind that the stranger had ordered her to follow him and meet the mate. He saw the stranger lie to the mate to get her to get the reading done now rather waiting until the end of the tournament.

He moved to the stranger's mind next. From the stranger's mind, he could sense that he did not have the confidence to win the tournament. His next opponent was going to be a push over though. He saw the mate ran her mouth, telling Nishi everything; about how the he met the mate and the stranger, about the curse, about her desire for an arranged matehood between the mate's son and his girl, and about how she wanted the stranger to mate claim Yukina.

What was unexpected was once Nishi found out all this information from the mate, she was willing to volunteer to have her blood read to find out if she was the one from the curse. She did not fully understand what the curse was about, but she was willing to help figure out if it was her voluntarily. She did not know about the curse until just now, but she figured it was important to him, so she was willing to help out anyway she could...

The mate read Nishi's blood from a tissue the stranger had found leftover from Nishi's busted nose courtesy of the demon king's mate. Hiei wondered why the stranger did not just bring that to the mate instead. After a search in his mind, Hiei found out he did not think the mate would just read the tissue without seeing Nishi first.

The mate did the reading of Nishi's blood though, but would not think of the answer. Hiei cursed her under his breath. She finally had the answer and it was only her mind that kept him from knowing too.

Hiei turned back to the mate. "Now, the blessing." The mate squirmed only slightly now, giving into him and thinking what he wanted to know. The mate was thinking about something else she wanted. Because Hiei had told the mate he would support an arranged matehood between the mate's son and his girl, so she was going to bless Nishi in a way that would make her support it. That would happen over his dead body. "Oh, that's rich. Is that how you plan on getting your way when I told you no."

"What was she planning?" Nishi asked in a soft and nervous voice. A mouse was louder.

Without turning away from the mate, Hiei answered, "she wants Hikari in an arranged matehood with her son. I told her no-"

The mate cute in, "but you seemed so willing to agree to it if it wasn't for your mate's disapproval." She was certainly exaggerating the truth.

"Shut up," Hiei told her. He shoved her down to the floor, biting back rage.

The mate could have done some serious damage to Nishi and her free will. Nishi always had it when it comes to the mate's curses, and he would make sure she kept it. The stranger though... He took that away from her briefly to get her down here. Yet if he had not done that, they would never know that Nishi was not the woman from the curse... Killing him for it was going to be so difficult. He would rather set Nishi on fire again...

The mate was still speaking, her voice going shrill as she talked not about Nishi, but about his girl. "She's a heiress. She's going to have to mate to someone someday. My son is the best choice. He will be king one day."

He rounded on her. "So I tell you no, refuse to sign the document agreeing to it. In response, you have your brother use his ability to bend people to his will on her so she can come get a blessing from you. A blessing that would have her become the grandmother of Takashi and Hikari's many children." The mate would do just about anything to get what she wants.

The mate scrambled up from the ground and away from Hiei. "What's wrong with that?" the mate baled like a horse. "My son gets a mate, your daughter gets a mate. Both get heirs and spares." She gave a side ways glance at Nishi and made to move towards her. Before Hiei could step in or Nishi could step away, the stranger shoved the mate back. "Yasha, what's wrong with you?" she hissed up at him.

The stranger stood defiantly before her. "You keep your hands off my ladyship."

"I'm your sister! Defend me, not her. Grab her and make her take my blessing," the mate demanded shrilly.

"Touch me and see what happens," Nishi's voice hinted threateningly. The stranger did not need to defend Nishi. Nishi could defend herself if need be.

The stranger directed at the mate, "you lose Minha. You won't get my lord's daughter into an arranged matehood ever. You will never touch my lady." Such loyal words for someone who betrayed him and made Nishi follow his orders.

The mate looked enraged at all of them. "You're choosing a hucker, human, and half-breeds over your own flesh and blood?" she accused the stranger.

"If need be," he responded steadily.

The mate was full on raging at this point. It was almost comical coming from someone her size and stature. "You have no honor! You don't deserve to be a prince or a Hayato clansman. No wonder my mate sent you to Mukuro! To keep you from influencing the younger clansmen to your unscrupulous ways."

The stranger was not taking her words laying down. "I guess I'm just the descendant of a bastard and a kitchen bitch with an unprovable claim to the demon king lineage." He gave a shrug that seemed at add to the mate's fury.

"Our grandmother was royal," she spat.

"Prove it."

"Snap out of your silliness. Get him out of the way, get her to me for that blessing, and then go mate to Yukina. And be quick about it." The mate stomped her foot childishly.

"No. I've fallen in love with a man, so get over that." Hiei furrowed his brow, wondering what man the stranger was talking about. Based on Nishi's face, she was a little bit taken aback by this confession. She also looked rather overwhelmed with everything that was going on in the room. She was panicky to say the least.

"I don't care if you fell in love that," the mate pointed at Hiei, "or any other man. You don't have to love her to mate to her and she doesn't have to love you."

Nishi cut in and directed at the stranger, "don't you touch Yukina, in any way or sense or form."

The mate turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Nishi chillingly. "There's your proof right there you can enter matehood without love." The mate needed to shut her mouth immediately. He growled at her, hoping that would get her to shut the fuck up. Yet she continued. "Hiei didn't love her when he mated to her." Nishi paled and breathed shallowly as she stared at the mate. "He told me so himself on his first visit after the first demon king tournament. He was exhausted and wasn't thinking straight. He thought it was a dream." She kept going, speaking to Nishi now, and embellishing her words. "A horrid nightmare at first. He couldn't stop himself once your blood touched his lips. And then the hucker realized what he did. He was stuck with you for the rest of your life. A human. You caught him in a moment of utter weakness. One of the biggest mistakes of his life."

When the mate ran her mouth, she could run it so fast and so outrageously. Nishi looked shocked, her first curled up by her mouth. She looked like she wanted to be smaller. Nishi looked over to Hiei questioningly, nonverbally asking him if what the mate was saying was true.

Their eyes met. "I never said nightmare," he told Nishi calmly, trying keep her from fully panicking as she looked ready to bolt. He fumbled for words as to how to start explaining. He looked away from her. "It's true-"

She ran from the room before he could get another word out.


	101. Chapter 101

"Nishi," Hiei called after her, startled to see her start away like that. He went to the doorway and looked left and right, trying to calm down long enough to figure out which way she went.

He heard the stranger behind him, "which way did she go?"

Instead of going after her, Hiei turned around and rounded on the stranger, sword out and on the stranger's neck than he could have anticipated. He froze, looking down at him frightened. "You touched her," Hiei snarled up at the stranger.

The stranger did not try to bat the sword off of his neck, but said slowly, "and if I hadn't, you would never known she was not the one from the blessing." He nodded the best he could towards the door. "She's getting away," he pointed out. "We need to find her. I can find her without needing to touch her."

Nishi did need to be found. "I'll deal with you after I find her," Hiei decided. He sheathed his sword and headed out the door, trying to sense where Nishi had run off two.

As he ran off, he heard the mate shout after the stranger that if he left that room, he would never be welcomed back in the Hayato territory for the rest of his life. The stranger still followed after Hiei nevertheless. Nishi was fast enough that she could be anywhere in the under stadium by now. The stranger went off in a different direction. Not long into their search, the two of them managed to corner her in the middle of a staircase. She lay on the steps in a heap. Hiei was at the top and the stranger was at the bottom.

"I found her," the stranger called out, stating the obvious.

Nishi looked up at Hiei and snarled, "I hate you."

Her words were harsh, but untrue. "No you don't. You should. But you don't."

She gave him a confused snarl. "If you don't love me, then why put up with me? Why marry me? Why keep me around?"

"Mates shouldn't be separated," he pointed out.

"You've left before. Months at a time..." she whined.

"I needed space. Separation should not be permanent." How did she miss that? Especially when she crossed lines before it.

"You lied to get me to come back with you. Just to rebuild the castle for you," she accused. It was convenient that she forgot she took over rebuilding the castle from him.

He bit back his temper and shook his head. "I love you," he said quickly.

"No you don't," she grumbled.

He hissed under his breath. "I didn't when I mated to you, yes. Minha was right," he admitted.

"Why do it then?" she asked.

The stranger jumped in. "I know this one. Wasn't thinking straight due to exhaustion, jealousy when he saw you kiss Jin, and loneliness."

Nishi turned her head down towards the stranger. "When then?"

"First pregnancy," the stranger responded in tandem with Hiei.

"Yasha, shut up," Nishi and Hiei said in unison.

Nishi turned back to look up at Hiei. "Why did it take so long to say it then?" she said in a mousy voice. He shrugged, not sure how explain it. "That's not an answer," she whined.

The stranger ran his mouth again. "You try to find a good time to say it with all the drama with you and Mukuro, her death, and then that bloody council."

Nishi was looking both mousy and uncomfortable, but not so much like she would make a run for it. Hiei descended the staircase towards her. She went rigid as he moved. She looked back down at the stranger at the base of the staircase. She moved one foot down towards the stranger.

The stranger spoke up as he held his partly wrapped up hand, "hand wrapped up, means I can't control you. Bare skin contact is necessary with both of my hands. One covered up, even slightly, and you're fine."

Nishi stayed where she was as Hiei sat down next to her. He tried not to think about the conversation he planned to have with her soon about her lies and near waste of what Mukuro did for her. Not to mention what needed to happen with the stranger soon...

Hiei explained, "he's telling the truth. He must touch bare skin with both bare hands at the same time and then give the orders so that only you can hear. If someone else hears the order, then you can choose to disobey. But if only you hear it, you will obey. And his ability to control you will last until one of you die."

Nishi hissed down at the stranger, "don't ever touch me again."

The stranger was quick to respond, "I won't I swear it. It was the only way to get you to my sister."

Hiei was quick to correct the half truth. "The plan was to explain the situation when the three of us weren't fighting and then to bring her to Minha with me hiding behind the door so I could read her mind for the answer without her knowledge. None of our plan was to have you take control of Nanashi and disappear with her."

Nishi shook her head. "I won't let him control me. He can try his hardest-"

Hiei interrupted her, "Why did you let go of Ruka then? Or follow him?"

She turned back to look at him with a curious frown. "Because... It made perfect sense."

"Why?"

"It just... did."

"How can you resist if it makes sense?"

The stranger called up to them desperately, "I'll never do it again. Really, I won't. I won't take control of her. I chose you two over Minha. You heard Minha. If I walked out that door to help find her ladyship, then she said I would not be welcome back to the Hayato territory."

Hiei felt a sinking, cold feeling settling in his stomach. He had known the stranger for so long. He had saved Nishi's life twice. Saved Mukuro once too from that crone. The stranger had been such a loyal friend... but he had controlled Nishi, so now he needed to die.

He gave a heavy sigh, feeling a hefty numbness as he stood up, drew his sword, and walked down the stairs towards the stranger. He made sure to move slowly so the stranger would be off guard until the moment he struck. A cleaner kill for him.

The stranger watched him as he told him, "And what happens when you change your mind and want to go home? You could tell Nanashi to go to your sister and get that blessing or to agree to do whatever else Minha asks of her, and she'll do it or die trying."

The stranger took a disbelievingly step backwards. "I won't. Never."

Hiei raised his sword level to the stranger's neck. The stranger flinched, bringing his hands protectively over his head. His stomach twisted. This was tantamount to him killing the detective in cold blood.

"No!" he heard Nishi shout. He was half thankful for the sound of her rushing down the stairs. She grabbed his sword blade. He could smell her blood in the air. It was not surprising that she began to plead for the stranger's life. "He's with Kurama. Don't hurt him."

Hiei gave her a side long glance. She did not know about how the fox had been using the stranger to get information out of him about Hiei or her or the council. Or that the fox was going to end it after the tournament.

"He's a liar. He lied about that to Minha," Hiei explained.

"No, he didn't," Nishi countered. "I saw him with Kurama earlier. He had his hand on Kurama and Kurama winked at me. They are together. And killing him will hurt Kurama."

Sounded more like the fox was playing along quietly during the tournament. Also sounded like if Hiei still tried to kill the stranger, Nishi would do whatever she could stop him.

It gave him the push to spare the stranger. "Let me cut off your hand then," Hiei told the stranger.

It did not work. "What? No!" the stranger responded indignantly. "I'll never be able to use my abilities again. I'll be defenseless."

The stranger would still get to live and he would never be able to give Nishi an order again. He could stay and Nishi would be safe. "Exactly. Then I can trust you with her." He just needed to give in and accept it. "You either remove a hand or stay away." Hiei bluffed. After once being exiled by his own people, Hiei doubted he would accept that again, even for the sake of his hand. He would not die from the wound anyway because they were close enough to healers who could heal him before he bled to death.

The stranger paled. "Where will I go? What will I do?" He raised his hands up and backed away. He was refusing like a fool. "I can't go home... Minha's mate would never let me back... Kurama..."

Hiei bit out, "that's not my problem. If I see you again or you enter Hikari's territory with two hands, I'll kill you." He had to leave, but he got an opportunity to come back if he wanted to. Hopefully he would not take so long to get around to it.

At long last the stranger had run out of sarcastic words and physically ran off. This runner was not one worth running after though.

Now that Hiei had dealt with the stranger, now he had to deal with Nishi and her lies and her near waste of Mukuro's sacrifice. He had been saving this moment for after he won the tournament and got the reading from the mate. He may not have won the tournament, but he got the reading, so now he could have it out with her without having to worry about her refusing to the mate for the reading.

"Was that necessary?" Nishi asked, her voice cutting through the silence.

He turned around to look at her as she wiped her hands off of her clothes. "You want to be controlled?" She shook her head. "Or better yet, he uses that on Hikari to get her to mate to his nephew one day? After he took control of you, it's obvious that he can't be trusted around you or her." She shook her head again. This place was a better place than never to confront her lies than later. "And while I've got you here, is it true you lied about being raped in order to get into the all women's hospital with the twins?"

He knew it was true, but he wanted to hear her admit it so. She did not look happy to be cornered and questioned like this, but here it would be private and could be succinct.

"Yes," she wheezed out truthfully. She looked like a child caught in the wrong.

""Why would you do that?!" he questioned her harshly.

She flinched in one moment, but her face flashed with fury in the next moment. "You refused to let me see a male doctor," she growled. "So I lied to get myself into the clinic. Saying my over protective, violent, demon mate would not let me see a man didn't fly!"

"That was a disgusting lie. I would have put a stop to it if I knew."

"And when were going to tell me about Minha and her plans for Hikari? Those secret visits to her?"

"That was none of your business."

"My doctor's appointments are none of your business then." She stared him down in midst of the silence that followed the end of their argument. "If I wasn't from Minha's curse, then who was it?"

That question hung in the air like oppressive humidity. "I don't know. Must have been Mukuro," he conjectured, knowing there was no conceivable way to find out if it was her. Her blood had long dried up into dust. The mate, if she could ever be convinced to read it, it would be unreadable. "Even if I could get her blood, Minha will never read it now after this. As for the visits to the Hayato Territory, Minha's mate, Hayate is an ally."

"Why the matehood between Minha's son and Hikari? Why not inform me of that?"

He worded his next words carefully and truthfully, "because I thought it was best for her and to strengthen my alliance with Hayate. I backed out when you very clearly explained you wouldn't want an arranged matehood for her with anyone."

"You brokered that without any of my knowledge?"

"You lied to get into that hospital without my knowledge."

She squirmed uncomfortably. "En pass," she mumbled out the odd phrase. "I'll forgive you, if you forgive me," she offered.

He studied her face carefully. Her offer was genuine. But undoable after her lies and near waste of Mukuro's sacrifice. He side stepped her offer, unsure if he wanted to take it up anytime soon. He asked a question he had been waiting to ask until after the mate read her blood. "What happened with the boy?" he asked hollowly. He had been so focused on training and winning and finding out if she was the cursed one or not that he had devoted much thought to grieving for the second son.

Her face went soft and sorrowful as she breathed out the name, "Ryu...?" He nodded, knowing she had named him. "I need to sit for that." Tiredly, she sat down, leaning her back on the wall behind her, and resting her elbows on her upraised knees. She began unraveling her side of the story to him vocally, "at my last stay in the hospital, my blood test from that appointment I ran out of showed I had rhesus antibodies in my blood against demon blood." Ran out, what a childish thing to do. "I had no chance to carry him to viability. I would have known that if that bitch doctor-"

"No," he silenced her, feeling his own blood run cold. She was trying to shift the blame of her own childish behavior. "You would have known if you had stayed or gone back there. Instead, you lied to me and refused to get the answer."

She looked up at him with a face a cross between a scowl and a pout. "Well I didn't know," she choked out. "The heat I felt was him trying to defend himself. In the end, I-" she cut herself off as she brought her hands to her mouth. She pulled her hands down to her neck. "The doctors in the hospital confirmed as well the heat damaged me enough internally that I cannot conceive again." She raised her head up high enough to his eyes. The look of regret in her eyes was at least a redeeming quality. She also looked like she was on the verge of tears. "He was incredibly strong."

She reached her hand up towards him, as if to pull him down towards her so he could comfort her. That was the last thing he wanted to do in that moment, comfort her over the consequences of her lies. He stepped away from here before they could start exchanging more biting words.

He left her down the hallway and left to enter the stands. He nearly thought to seek out the stranger, but stopped the thought in its tracks. He would not see the stranger until that traitor cut off his hand and came back to Hikari's territory. It was only a matter of time before he did that.

He settled down alone in a nearly empty area of the stands within sight of the stairwell from which he came. When Nishi came outside, she'd likely go there. He could sense the stranger was not was not close to them nor was the mate. He sat and thought hollowly about the second son... he should never have been, but was gone now...

"She attacked me!" a shrill shout snapped Hiei out of his own thoughts.

He looked down to see the enchantress and the wind mage standing near the entrance where he had come from. The sight of the wind mage gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Nishi should have been his. A human wind mage with a demon wind mage should have been destined to be together.

Hiei watched as the wind mage and enchantress began to publicly argue. First about how Nishi had attacked her, even though she really did not look injured. Nishi never would have spoken to him so harshly to him in public. He still probably thought himself in love with Nishi. Had Hiei not interfered between them, then the wind mage could have been happier with her.

Then of course Hiei would have never had her. Or only had her for that brief time in the Human World and then had moved on to the beauty, or if he had been lucky enough, Mukuro...

"Fuck you and your damn mate!" came another scream. Hiei was snapped away from his a second time. He blinked, noticing Nishi was standing near both the wind mage and the enchantress. She shoved the wind mage away from her. "She deserved much more than I did to her. I don't need this right now." He watched their argument intently, tensed and ready to interfere if necessary. Did not seem to likely though as Nishi was holding her own.

The wind mage growled down at Nishi, "that's my soul mate. That's the woman you told me I would find someday. And you ripped out her hair."

Nishi was quick to growl right back at him, "I made that up! Soul mates don't exist! You were going to kill me, so I said whatever I could to get you to let me go!"

"No, we're requited. You said-"

Nishi yelled at the wind mage in full rage, "I lied! It's what I'm good at." She paused and lowered her tone. "I felt awful about you and leading you on, but I wanted to live. I would said anything."

Hiei straightened up as he saw the wind mage shakily step over to her. He was struggling to breath, which was an a nerving thing to see happen to a wind demon. Hiei strained his ears, but could not pick up on what the wind mage was saying next to Nishi, but watched as he practically cornered her against the wall and invaded her space. Hiei rose up from his spot and began moving towards them.

As he nearly reached the two of them, the wind mage leaned over Nishi and publicly kissed her, right in front of his own mate, even as she tried to get away from him.

Hiei swore under his breath while the enchantress started screaming in fright and anger. The way Nishi gripped her chest and grimaced sourly was enough proof that their matehood was real. Her body was trying to rebel against the forced infidelity.

Hiei reached her and she fell against him. He aligned his mouth with her ear and sighed, "I leave you alone for five minutes..." He pulled her face into line with his and kissed her hard, wincing as their teeth knocked together. Hopefully just a kiss would do for her. He had heard that sometimes when a matehood was tested, that the tested one could be easily aroused and would stay that way until it was sated, which he was not in the mood for right now.

Unfortunately, Nishi was aroused... And had her dormant instincts towards matehood existed afterall and seemed to be taking her over. Her body wanted him to prove the infidelity was unwanted. Kissing her was enough to keep her living, but not enough to stop her from pining like this. Without any shame, she was leaning against him, kissing at his neck. He could either shove her away or take her somewhere private and burn off her lust.

Meanwhile, the enchantress was giving off about the convulsing wind mage. Hiei turned to her and barked, "shut up and kiss him before he dies. His body is rebelling against the infidelity."

Surprisingly, the enchantress calmed down long enough to listen to him. As the enchantress bent over the wind mage and kissed, he wished she had not. He could have easily killed Nishi like this.

Nishi was still kissing at his neck. Grunting under his breath, Hiei took her by the hand, deciding to take her somewhere private and get it over with. Better to deal with it now rather than later.

He pulled her behind him into the underneath of the stadium, trying to find a room that would work for them. A room with a bed was going to be highly unlikely. They just needed a room where he could lay her down and take her quickly. He did not want to want her, but she would be better off after he did. Better to burn off her lust now rather than draw it out and make her suffer.

He found an unlocked room and pulled her into it. There were empty paint tins and cotton drop cloths on the floor. This room would have to do. She would be comfortable enough on the drop cloths.

He turned around to grabbed her, but as he turned, she was on him, shoving him down to the drop cloths. He laid himself down as comfortably as possible as she claimed his mouth harshly with hers. Something about this felt vaguely familiar, like a far off memory. As she kissed him, her shaking hands yanked at his belt and tore at his pants and boxers off. Something tore, as he could hear the sound of fabric ripping. Hopefully it was a minor tear.

Once he lay beneath her naked, she straightened up. She hastily pulled off her top and bra and then brought her mouth back down to his. She sat up again, undoing her own pants and shoving both her pants and panties down as far as she could on her thighs.

As he looked up at her striding him, he remembered why what was happening was so familiar. Before the first demon king tournament and he desired Mukuro, he imagined her having her way with him like this; laying him down and her doing all the work. So far Nishi had done everything he had imagined Mukuro doing. His imagining of Mukuro had ended though with her biting his neck to the point of breaking the skin. Nishi would never do that though. She would rather be bit than to bite, but disliked blood being drawn. Had to be a human mentality.

He lay beneath her, looking up at her. She had stripped off her pants and panties now. She slipped him inside of her and moved. She met his gaze only for a second and watched her eyes flash blue. Before he had a chance to question it, she had her mouth down on his; ending the start of his question into a muffled moan. As she kissed him, she drove down on him harder that he ever experienced from her before.

She pulled her mouth from his, looking down at him carefully. He felt his throat tighten as he met her steely blue gaze. Her eyes were a harsh, brilliant, but confident medium blue. But her eyes were brown, not blue. Those blue eyes belonged to a dead demoness...

Nishi tore her gaze away from him as a shudder went through her body. She closed her eyes as she came softly. Next, she brought her mouth down on his neck, biting him hard with her eye teeth. She bit him harder than she ever had. The feeling of being bit like this made his blood run hot in bliss.

It was felt so right and so wrong at the same time. This was Nishi physically, so it was not an infidelity, but her soul was not entirely hers. A piece of Mukuro's soul must have cross over when she gave her the life span transference, the mate gift. He had dreaded that possibility and now it was something he need to deal with after this tournament.

Her biting and her thrusting grew rougher. "Do it," he hissed in her ear, giving in the desire burning through him. He grabbed a fistful of her hair at the base of her neck. Her jaw pushed to come back together, sending waves of pleasure down his spine. "Come on," he begged, trying to hold back. She twisted her jaw. "Come on." If his long ago fantasy was going to play out, then he wanted it to play out fully. He wanted her to break his skin. Every nerve in his body seemed tense and on edge. He felt her top eye tooth sink into his flesh just before a wave of overwhelming pleasure crashed over him. "Yes!" he called out against her neck.

It was the purest form of pleasure he could remember feeling in such a long time. Everything felt complete and he felt whole. He felt Nishi shift on top of him, resting her head on his shoulder and her body on his.

He felt as if his brain was in a complete fog. "What was that?" Nishi asked in a slow pant.

The events of the last half hour or so came flooding back, clearing his mind. "Your body wanted to prove Jin's kiss was unwanted," he answered. He remembered once more how she nearly wasted Mukuro's sacrifice out of spite. Especially now that he realized a spec of Mukuro's soul had crossed into hers. "Which is why you couldn't fuck me fast enough. I kissed you to keep you from dying."

"Oh," she whined against his neck, just above the bite wound. Her cool breath felt good on his neck, calming down the bit of rage building in him. "Are you going to kill him?" she asked, voice dripping with concern.

The wind mage... Nishi should have been with him. And yet she was his willingly. But the wind mage still desired her, still loved her after all this time. She had been stolen away from him. Taken away and seduced. After everything else, killing him would been too merciful after he nearly killed Nishi. The wind mage had ruined his own matehood now, so let him suffer for it.

"If he ever comes near you again, yes," he decided. "But I get the feeling Ruka will want to the honors."

Nishi hummed. "Huh. She'll probably blame me for that."

She had been on top of him for far too long. He rolled the two of them so he was on top of her. He checked her eyes, seeing them once again were the sweet brown color they always had been.

His temper heated up, knowing now her eyes and herself were normal. "I let you fuck me but that doesn't change anything. You better not have lied about your inability to conceive again."

"I didn't. I swear," she said, shaking her head slightly.

Yet he could not bring himself to believe her. She had lied before and she could lie again. The inability to trust her sickened him. He rose off of her and went over to where his pants lay. He picked them up and noticed a rip going along the inside of his thigh.

"You ripped them," he grumbled. That was something he would have expected from Mukuro, not Nishi. He shrugged them on anyway.

Nishi looked up at him from her now sitting position. She had pulled a drop cloth up over her legs, torso, and chest. "You've done that to my clothes plenty of times," she replied hollowly. He picked up her own clothes and tossed them down to her. He looked down at the rip in his pants, trying to figure out how easily it would be for someone to notice. "I love you," she whispered softly.

He looked back over at her on the ground. "I still don't forgive you," he admitted.

She pouted up at him. "Why?" she growled out. "Why can't-"

"Because Mukuro died so you could live longer," he talked over her. She pulled the drop cloth over her shoulders protectively as she seemed to grow smaller. "She sacrificed herself for you and you were going to throw that away out of spite. You may have wanted that child after he was conceived, but once you knew he wasn't going to make it, that he could have killed you, you still kept tried to keep him." She had her head down with her hands balled up in front of her mouth. "That almost doctor told you what to do. Yukina pleaded with you. Yasha tried to convince you. Kurama of all people advised what to do, and you didn't listen." She was so eerily still. "You were nearly Mukuro's heiress. If nothing else, I will not let you die until your life span runs out and Mukuro's starts. I will not let you waste her sacrifice. She will not have died for nothing."

She chocked back a whimpered forcefully and then held her breath. "Leave me alone," she chocked out balling the drop cloth all around her.

He left her in the room by herself. He slammed the door behind him. He turned to the opposite wall and punched it. Part of the wall with where he struck as the epicenter was dust and rubble. He could not hear anything coming from the room. Nishi was probably sitting in there, moping in self pity, trying to think of ways to label him the villain between the two of them. He was half tempted to go in there and tell her he was not the villain of this story. He stopped when he sensed two others approaching him down the hallway.

"My lady, the matches are not over," the beauty said half desperately in a quiet voice to the mate. "If Yasha yet wins, you can still be paid."

"We're leaving and that's final," the mate hissed.

Hiei paused, looking over at the door to the room where Nishi was. He stepped in front of the door and leaned on it, giving neither the mate nor the beauty a chance to find out about her.

The mate saw him, but kept walking at her normal, fast pace. The beauty though had pulled her knife out and had it in her hand. She eyed him carefully. She walked between the mate and Hiei as they made to pass him.

As the mate passed, he heard her ask the beauty, "Ayane, who do you sense in that room behind him?"

The beauty kept pace with the mate as she responded confidently, "a human."

"He's awfully protective for someone who is angry with his mate," the mate commented. "If only she knew..." she added right before she turned around and gave him sinister smile.


	102. Chapter 102

Yasha left Hiei and Nanashi at a dead run, trying to get away from Hiei while Nanashi held him back. Thank the Great Mother that she was there. Yet running from this problem would never changed how much he just fucked up. He should have just explained to Nanashi why she had to come with him in that moment instead of ordering her to do so. It would have been harder, but better in the long run.

He sought out and found Kurama, bewildering him as explained all that had happened to him before he could get a word in edge wise.

"What?" Kurama asked, trying to process it all when Yasha finished explaining. "What? How did you plan this? Why didn't you tell me about this? I could have helped you two..." he added grudgingly.

"Yes, but we never really figured it all out. I just kind of acted," Yasha admitted. "How do you think we could have convinced her to do something she wouldn't want to do..."

"And now you're exiled once more," Kurama stated. "Where can you go now?"

"I, I don't know..." Yasha responded. "Is there a chance at the Human World...? With someone else...?" He hinted carefully at what he wanted now.

Then Kurama went cold and almost aloof. "You're still in this tournament. You should try to win still." He added in. "You were lucky and your prior opponents were weaker than you, but you'll be fighting Yomi next. Don't hold back against him. Use all of your abilities," he advised with a nod down to Yasha's hands.

Kurama's advise was cold, calculated, and distant; not at all what Yasha wanted to hear. "And if I don't win, we'll talk more," he added with a quick kiss on his lips. Kurama averted his eyes as they parted.

After that, Yasha went off to find out when his next match was. It was due to start surprisingly soon. He timed his arrival just as he was about to journey to the arena. He debated internally even bothering to enter this match at all, but with nowhere else to go for certain after this tournament, he decided to fight anyway. Kurama's advice had to be sound. He knew Yomi better than anyone else Yasha knew.

He stepped into the arena cautiously; eyeing Yomi standing over on the other side of the arena. It seemed almost fitting that they were fighting in the same rocky, desert arena Hiei and Nanashi had fought in earlier. Only this time, throwing sand in his opponent's eyes was not going to work seeing as how Yomi was blind.

He took a deep, steadying breath as he carefully pulled off his left glove and then his right glove. "Don't hold back against him," he whispered to himself nervously.


	103. Chapter 103

Hiei tried to wait patiently for Nishi to come out of the room they had been in. His patience ran out when he heard the stranger's match against Yomi announced.

"Don't do anything stupid," he grumbled out loud toward the door. He could still sense Nishi in there by herself. If she would not come out while he waited they she would just have to keep herself from doing anything stupid again.

He went up to the stadium to watch the match, unsure how well the stranger would do against Yomi; his first real opponent in this tournament. The other demons he had fought were a cake walk compared to Yomi. The stranger was going to need to not hold back against him.

Hiei tracked down the fox just before the match started. The fox was sitting near the detective and the oaf, ready to watch the match together. The detective and oaf were blathering on, but Hiei couldn't really follow any of it; took too much energy for that right now.

The fox sat in stony silence though until the match between Yomi and the stranger was being announced. "You should have clued me in," he said in a cutting whisper. "Where's Nanashi?"

"Hiding," Hiei answered, annoyed that the fox already seemed to know what happened. Probably the stranger running his mouth like the mate. Hiei watched on bated breath as the stranger pulled his gloves off right before the match was due to start.

"Yo," the detective interrupted his focus by snapping his finger. "Where did you say Nanashi was?" he asked him with an annoyed frowned.

"She wanted left alone," Hiei said dismissively.

"Did she say that, or did you just assume that and walk off again?" the detective pressed.

Hiei gave a grunt and twitched his nose. "She said it," he hissed through her teeth.

"This time," the detective bated.

"She's said it before," Hiei said steadily.

"Not every time," the fox added cuttingly.

Hiei eyed the fox and carefully chose his words. "What favors," he hinted, "did you do to get that information?" He glanced down at the fox's knees before looking back up at him.

The fox met his gaze harshness for harshness. "Loyalty can't be bought or thrown away so easily."

The announcer made an exclamation in fan girl joy. Hiei missed her words, but tore his gaze away from the fox to watch the match. He watched as the stranger struggled to dodge Yomi while trying to get a two handed grip on him.

"What's Yasha's ability exactly?" the detective asked curiously. "Why does he keep trying to grab at Yomi?"

"He can cause a kind of wind burn with skin on skin contact," the fox lied. The stranger still did not want others to know he give irrevocable orders. "He covers his hands normally to avoid hurting someone accidentally."

"Does Yomi usually carry a knife? He's got one sheathed at his side," the oaf noticed.

"Not normally, no," the fox answered with a puzzled frown.

Hiei continued to watch the stranger's fight intently; he would not mind wanting to see him win. Yomi was more or less beating him up. It reminded Hiei of what Nishi looked like when she first started fighting when compared to him. The stranger was not going to be able to take it much longer.

Then at long last, the stranger managed to grab Yomi's bare wrist in two hands when the stronger demon threw a punch that missed its target. The stranger pulled Yomi's torso over to him and appeared to whisper in his ear. From the camera angle, Hiei was able to make out the words by reading the stranger's lips, 'don't win the tournament.'

What he ordered was not one that guaranteed his safety. Just after the stranger gave his order, Yomi had his knife on his hip wiped out. The small blade sliced across the outside of the stranger's right forearm and wrist. The stranger let Yomi go completely and staggered away from him, clutching the bleeding wound on his arm. Yomi kept coming after him with the knife, slicing at him.

"Oh all the weaknesses, your friend's is a knife?" the detective asked in a concerned voice. Yomi seemed to enjoy using the knife to try to strike down the panicky stranger.

The fox spoke steadily, even his hands had a white knuckled grip on his pants, "only when your opponent is stronger than you and armed."

The stranger should have ordered Yomi not to harm him first and then not to win the tournament. The fool. He knew better. He did that with Mukuro the first instance he got with her. And yet he did not do that with Yomi. The idiot.

Yomi had the stranger in the middle of the arena now, no where near the edge. With a swift kick to the chest, the stranger was knocked down on his back. He was quick to move though to his hands and knees. Yomi loomed over him with the knife in hand. The stranger threw his hand up over his face. Yomi brought the knife down with a quick flicking arching motion. The blade cut off the stranger's hand.

Hiei just stared in shock. The stranger let out an awful yowl. The stranger cradled what was left of his arm to his chest. He was visibly shaking. Yomi kicked the severed hand far away from them. Yomi seemed to be speaking down to him, but the cameras watching the match failed to pick up on his words or his lips. He threw the knife down to the sand. The knife buried itself blade down in the sand.

Since the stranger was on his knees, the ten count was sounding. If Yomi just let it finish, the stranger could still make it to a healer before he bled out. He had minutes.

Before the ten count could finish, Yomi reached over to the stranger and picked him up by the collar, holding him up in the air. The ten count stopped before it could finish. The stranger kicked at him, but did minimal damage. With his other hand, he reached over and yanked the stranger's arm towards him, giving his forearm a tight squeeze. The stranger struggled feebly in panic.

After two minutes agonizing minutes eked past, the stranger went limp. Next to Hiei, the fox shook his head ever so slightly. Yomi dropped him. The countdown started again. Yomi stood over the ashen stranger. The stranger was still somehow conscious, but barely. He brought his remaining hand over to the stump of his other arm, covering it feebly.

The ten count finally ended and the next thing Yomi did was walk away from the stranger.

The fox was moving, shoving past Hiei without a care. Hiei ran after him, even as the detective called after them. Small mercy that the detective and oaf did not follow them.

The two of them made it to the healer's tent where the stranger was brought in. Somehow Nishi was there, along with Yukina and the twins. Nishi held his girl while Yukina had her boy. The fox wasted no time rushing towards the strangers and kneeling beside him, taking his outstretched hand, and pulling it into his chest.

His girl gave a shrill cry and reached over to Hiei. She always wanted him when he was near. Hiei tore his eyes from the stranger and took his girl from Nishi. Nishi handed her over willingly. His girl buried her face in his neck while Hiei stroked her hair comfortingly.

Hiei watched stonily as the stranger gave one last deep and rattling breath. Then he just went still. Like nothing else happened or nothing else mattered...

"No," the fox sputtered out, breaking the eerie calm. He dropped down to his hands and knees. He pounded the ground with his fists. "No."

Nishi stepped over and knelt down next to the fox. She put her hand on his shoulder as she murmured his name. The fox turned to her and threw himself into her arms. She was taken by surprise, but pulled the fox into her chest and held him.

Nishi looked up over to Hiei, blinking rapidly. "What happened?" she chocked out.

"Where have you been?" he asked her right back.

She hissed at him, "cut that attitude and tell me. I'm sick of it. I don't care that you're still mad at me, but just tell me what happened to Yasha." She was blinking faster, trying to hold herself together. Her temper was fiery right now.

He bit back his own temper and responded, "among everything else that has happened, the tournament continued on. The first round of the semifinals found Yomi against Yasha. The next round will be Kurama against Enki. Yasha lost. Yasha did manage to get two bare hands on him before Yomi removed his right one." He read her face, noticing she caught his unspoken meaning right away. "He's lost too much blood to survive. I'm surprised he held on long enough for us to get here."

Nishi looked at him dumbstruck despair. She turned back to the fox. "Oh Kurama, I'm so sorry. I know he loved you," she tried to soothe. Her soothing feel on deaf ears. If anything, the fox was grieving more now.

And yet the fox needed to snap out of it. He needed to win. Yomi could not be allowed to win. Not now, not ever. "Kurama, you need to snap out of it. You have two more fights to go," Hiei reminded him. If he tried, he could still defeat Enki easily and Yomi possibly.

Nishi's head snapped back right back up at him. "You can't seriously expect him to do that!" she replied testily. She shook her head slightly. "Who cares about this tournament? How would you expect me to react if you just died? Go on to win this stupid tournament as if nothing happened?"

He doubted she would ever be able to do something like that. He responded as gently as he could, "if he wants revenge against Yomi, yes. Unfortunately, he must beat Enki first before he fights Yomi."

She looked at him with a pain expression, but did not respond.

The fox pulled himself up and a little ways away from Nishi. "There's another way," the fox thought out loud before he pulled himself away from Nishi. He rose up and ran out of the tent.

"Kurama!" Nishi shouted after him as she followed him out at a run. Hiei and Yukina with the twins ran after them.

The fox ran off searching frantically around the crowd for someone specific. "Yomi!" The very demon heard the fox and turned around to see him with a cunning smirk. Quick as quick can be, the fox pulled his rose from his hair, snapped out his whip, and shouted, "Rose Whip!" He snapped his wrist and his rose whip flew through the air. It latched onto Yomi's wrist as the fox yanked him over to him.

Yomi shook his head as if trying to shake off a bee. "What's this?" he breathed out loud. His hand latched onto the fox's throat as if on its own accord. Yomi shook his head one more time. "Upset I killed your stalker turned lover boy? Couldn't wait to fight me in the arena for revenge?"

The fox recalled his rose whip and it disappeared. Then the fox gave a hoarse laugh as best he could with Yomi's hand around his wrist.

The fox found another way. He took got both himself and Yomi disqualified from the tournament so he would not have to fight both Enki and then Yomi. It was a guarantee that Yomi would not win at all. Clever, but a screwed himself over in the process.

Then Hiei spied one of the tournament committee members walking by. The first who voiced to disqualify him and the detective first. The best one who could have walked was the one walking by right now.

The fox spotted the tournament committee member as well, closed his sad eyes, and gave a half mad sounding laugh.

The tournament committee member spoke up, "jeez! Two more fighters fighting outside the arena. Now that makes six disqualified from this year's tournament alone!"

Hiei kept a straight face when he would rather smile. Yomi was following the stranger's order to not win the tournament, even after death. Bittersweet in a way.

Yomi caught on to his mistake, his inability to disobey the stranger. "What did you say?" he hissed at the tournament committee member.

The fox answered in his stead, "when fighters fight outside of the arena in this tournament, they are disqualified." Yomi knew that. He had told both Nishi and Hiei that before the tournament started. Yet he could not disobey. "I attacked you and you fought back. We're both out of this tournament. You lose."

Yomi's face went from confusion to fury so quickly. "What?!" He turned and faced the fox full on. "You traitor."

Yomi tightened his grip on the fox's neck and lifted him off of his feet. The fox grimaced, gripping his hands around Yomi's hand around his throat. His feet kicked, trying to find purchase on the ground. His mouth let loose a choking rattle as it tried in vain to suck down air.

Hiei growled under his breath at the sight of it. He felt his girl stir in his arms.

"Stop!" Nishi shouted fearfully. As she made to run to the fox's aid, Hiei grabbed the back of her shirt and held her back next to him. Yomi would not spare her if she tried. She looked down at him pleadingly.

His girl's face snapped up, seeing Nishi's face as well. His girl took one look at Yomi and the fox and screamed loudly at the sight. Nishi covered her ears and grimaced slightly. His girl grew scolding hot in his arms. As did the air around them. Her fire serpent, the tiniest thing the size of a piece of yarn, blazed around her neck. His girl gave a second piercing scream and squinted over at Yomi. The side of Yomi's shirt caught fire with a small, but bright red flame.

Yomi swore aloud, dropping his grip on the fox in panic to beat the fire on his side out. "Who did that?!" he shouted aloud. He looked the area, looking ready to kill whoever did that. He was hardly burnt though.

Hiei froze stock still as his girl's head slumped against his shoulder. Nishi looked down at him, unsure what to do. "Don't move," Hiei barely breathed to her. "You'll draw attention over here." He silently hoped that Yomi was too distracted to hear him.

Yomi was looking around the crowd intently, trying to find some sign of who set his shirt on fire. His eyes rested a brief moment on Hiei, but kept roaming over the rest of the crowd. He passed his gaze right over his girl without really noticing her. Hiei did not even allow himself a sigh of relief. Yomi gave a harsh snarl under his breath and stormed away.

To Nishi, Hiei explained in a hushed voice only she could hear, "Yasha gave him an order before he removed his right hand. The order was to not win this tournament."

Nishi breathed back, "interesting way to follow orders."

Hiei shifted his girl in his arms, holding her sleeping form closer.


	104. Chapter 104

He's gone...


	105. Chapter 105

They managed to get the stranger's body, even though they weren't kin. Hiei had the oaf and Yukina to thank for that. They had been happening by when he was trying to get the body himself, but those guarding the dead refused because he was not family. Somehow the oaf managed to get it anyway. He swayed them. The body was meant to be burned the same day the person died because the clan's superstition was the Great Hawk Spirit would be able to come fetch them if the body was born the same day they died. A foolish belief, but the stranger would want it done for him. The mate and the beauty were too far by now to get them back here in time.

As per Hiei's instructions, they prepared the body to be burned after Hiei explained how the large demon did it back after the rebellion was put down in Hikari's castle. The large demon had the loyal dead burned ceremoniously. Those who were not loyal though were hung to rot. That was not something Hiei wanted done to the stranger's body.

After the pyre with the stranger's body blazed, each of them cut a small lock of hair off and threw that in the fire. Hiei recalled that was a custom in the clan to do that. The stranger had told him about reminiscently after the large demon and his warriors left them to the ruined castle. If a clan member died, two others at least, if not more, needed to burn the body and cut a lock of hair off and burn it with the body as a farewell to the dead and a summons to the Great Hawk Spirit. When explaining the lock of hair part, he left out the part where it was supposed to be the hair of at least two clan members, otherwise, as superstition dictated, the Great Hawk Spirit would never know she was summoned. Thankfully it was just a mere superstition.

Yukina stepped over to Hiei as he watched the stranger's body burn. "Do you want to say something?" she asked him gently as she placed a soft hand on his forearm.

Hiei bit his tongue, unsure in moment, what, if anything to say. He kept his eyes locked on the funeral pyre. He shook his head after a moment.

"Do you want me to say something?" she pressed nicely.

He watched the fire burn. He nodded.

What she said was kind, but he could not remember for the life of him what her words were...


	106. Chapter 106

The fox was behaving out of character. He was listless and melancholy over the stranger's death. He had known the stranger for a handful of months, not years. He hardly knew him compared to how Hiei knew him. Yet Nishi was fawning over him like a wounded puppy, even insisting he come back with them to his girl's castle after the tournament. Hiei agreed to do it reluctantly after her insistence.

Yukina agreed to come back with them as well, which Hiei did like, but only for only for the night. She said she had been gone too long from the old psychic's compound and needed to go back. He wished she would stay longer. The oaf would not be coming with them though.

Once they were back at his girl's castle, Nishi took care of the fox while Yukina took care of the twins with Hiei's assistance. Nishi took the fox upstairs while they took the twins to their nursery. Once at the nursery, two nannies were there and waiting. There was no need for Hiei to be there to help out.

He left them, walking slowing down the hall. He pulled off his headband, entering Nishi's mind. She was comforting the fox in his morose. Did he really need that much attention...?

Hiei slid his headband back on and walked to his newly claimed room, Mukuro's old room. Even just being in here reminded him of her. When he closed the door behind him, the silent stillness was oppressive.

He missed her. He missed the stranger. He wanted Nishi here with him instead of babying the fox. He wanted Nishi to be trustworthy once more.

He stepped into the middle of the room, not feeling like he even had the energy to hang up his sword or anything else that required even the minimal effort. He sunk down to the ground, resting on his knees. He dropped his hands to the ground next. He punched the ground as hard as he could manage, ignoring the sting he felt traveling up his hand. He shouted out in full rage at the ground.

When his shout puttered out into silence, he was still there. After a brief span of hanging time, he heard the sound of light and quick foot steps. He turned his head in time to see Yukina entering the room.

"I heard you shouting. Are you alright?" she asked in a concerned voice. Before she gave him a chance to reply, she sunk down to the ground next to him and pulled him in close.

He was unsure how long they sat like that, but he did recall himself muttering things like, "I miss her," "I miss him," "why," "I want to trust her," "I love her still."


	107. Chapter 107

Hiei thought he woke up. He felt alert and lucid, but then realized he was in a dream world. He looked around in front of him. He heard a masculine voice clearing a throat. He turned right around on the ball of his feet, hand going to his sword that was not there. He saw the stranger standing there before him, as if living and breathing.

"You're dead," Hiei breathed out in shock.

The stranger just shrugged. "I was there," the stranger added casually. "Still am."

"How...?" Hiei questioned. He wondered why he could not wake up. This was not reality, but a dream. Yet he could not escape it. "Let me wake up," he requested without thinking about it.

The stranger shook his head. "I want to talk first," he stated seriously.

Hiei shifted his weight. He looked behind the stranger, seeing a large predatory bird behind the stranger. The bird was staring at him with a face that read shock in its own right. It clicked its beak rapidly, but there was an absence of any sound at all. His ears felt strained trying hear any noise issuing from it.

"What is that?" Hiei asked with a nod towards the bird.

The stranger glanced behind him half curious, half surprised. "I..." he began. He pursed his lips. His face suddenly went cross. "I bet if you could hear her, she would tell you what a terrible mate you are," he said cuttingly.

"What?" Hiei asked him disbelievingly.

"You heard me," the stranger said with a nod towards Hiei. "She's like that," he added cryptically. "You can't hear her because I'm the one who is communicating with you, not here."

Hiei looked up at the bird and scowled. She was still moving her beak about and buffeting her wings. All of that should have at least made a sound. The stranger was watching her as well with an uncomfortable look on his face. The bird bumped the stranger with her beak, forcing him to step closer to Hiei.

The stranger grumbled under his breath. He turned back to Hiei and said, "are you even going to bother telling Nanashi about Jin? About how you stole her away from him because you wanted to bed her first." Hiei stood still, keeping one eye on the stranger and the other eye on the bird. "Stole her right away from the man who loved her and could have given her a better life." Hiei watched him steadily, hiding his reaction to his sharp words. "Shouldn't you tell her? Or are you too scared to because once she finds out, it's over. She'll leave. It'll be over permanently then too."

Hiei gave into the stranger's goading. "Shut up." Silently, he thought to himself that she would not do that. Things were tense with her, but fixable. He could forgive her soon if he tried. If he could keep his temper in check. He did want her by his side now that the stranger was dead.

"Why should I?" the stranger asked.

Hiei bit down on his lip hard, hoping a hard enough bite would awaken him. "Let me wake up," he demanded.

The bird shoved the stranger closer to Hiei. The stranger let her move him grudgingly. They now stood at a close distance from each other. The bird silently clicked her beak.

"I'm sorry," the stranger breathed. "For everything..."

That started an unexpected conversation. A forgiving one, with closure. If a kind of conversation with the stranger was possible, then one like that with Nishi could be possible as well.

Hiei jumped awake with a start. He was asleep on the bed in his claimed room, with no recollection as to how he got there. He was fully clothed minus his sword hanging on the bed post near his head. He looked around the room and saw Yukina, fully clothed as well, on the other side of the bed. He sat up slowly, shaking his head to try to free it of the grogginess. Yukina stayed sleeping as he got up very carefully so as not to disturb her.


	108. Chapter 108

Nishi was good at avoiding him. Started doing so from the moment Yukina and left and continued on doing it even after the sprite and two other women who had survived the cocky one's rebellion came back to his girl's castle from the Spirit World. The three of them came back as they had no where else to go. The sprite was noticeably pregnant and had no desire to go back to her sister who was a the healer who saved Nishi's life back at the first Demon King Tournament.

He told them each they could stay and choose their own jobs or duties while they were here. Two of them chose jobs in maintenance and the gardens. The sprite was overly excited over the idea of choosing her own job and asked to be a lady's maid for Nishi. While that did not seem like something Nishi would ever want or need, he agreed. She more than deserved an easy job after all she had been through. Nishi would be willing to take pity on the sprite.

Even after things settled down over a course of a few days, Nishi was hard to catch. She stayed with the fox almost constantly; like a protective mother hen. Finally, Hiei felt annoyed with how hard she was to catch for the conversation they needed to have.

He felt so annoyed about having to wait to get her alone. He even stayed in the library as much as possible, figuring she would find her way in there. She had made it twice the size of Mukuro's old one and had not taken long to fill the book shelves. Her avoiding even this room was ridiculous. He sent the sprite looking for her, hoping she would find her.

While he waited in hope that Nishi to enter the library, he read over the drama inducing letters sent from the mate. Now the mate decided to try to cause chaos. She sent two letters, berating him and how he reneged on their deal underhandedly. For Nishi though, she wrote a letter telling her everything she possibly could that Hiei ever told the large demon or the mate, but in a cruel and condescending tone. Everything about the wind mage was in there. While the idea of writing scathing letters was a pretty pathetic, the information she divulged in her letter to Nishi, not to mention its tone, would be damning if Nishi ever read it. Both letters needed to be burned immediately.

The sprite managed to do what he could not do. The sprite found Nishi and sent her to him alone. Nishi entered the library like she was treading through muck. She shut the doors very gently, intentionally putting her back towards him. She moved so annoyingly and purposefully slow.

Yet once she turned around, he could see she looked exhausted and morose. Possibly mate sick as well due to all her attentiveness to the fox. The last thing she needed was to get mate sick.

Hiei set the letters down carefully on the back of the couch by the lit fireplace; folded in a way they could not be read, and stepped over to Nishi. "Took you long enough. Longer than it should have taken if Midori got lost, which she probably did," he spoke.

"Can we not fight," she requested in a defeated tone. She did not want to fight, which gave him a better chance to explain himself if she was too worn out to be temperamental. She rubbed her chest absentmindedly, a sign she could be mate sick.

He was right next to her now. He reached his hand up to her face and pulled her down for a quick kiss. He tried not to be distracted by how sweet even that was. He felt the temptation to do more.

Her face read that she disliked that though. It made him feel defensive. "Don't read that as romantic nonsense," he said, trying to shrug off the distaste on her face. "You've spent too much time with Kurama. Been too intimate. You could get mate sick." She probably was ever so slightly.

She looked offended now unfortunately. "I- there's nothing going on there," she whined. "There couldn't be."

He stepped away from her, hoping physical distance would help her temper. He stepped over to the mate's letters, picking up the one address to her; the most damning one.

He carried it and the other letter over to the fire. "What is that?" She asked, stepping over to him.

He panicked at her coming so closer. "None of your business," he said as he decided to toss the paper in the fire, destroying the evidence.

She sighed grouchily and rubbed between her eyes. "Minha? What does she want?"

He felt his nerves kick up. She saw the mate's signature. What else had she seen...? This letter could anger her tremendously if she read it. He threw it in the fire before she could read anything else.

He stepped over to where the second letter addressed to him was and gave it a quick read before tossing it into the fire as well. Before he could throw it in the fire though, Nishi stopped his wrist.

"Revenge," he answered. He glanced over at the couch. "Sit." She did not move. "I'll tell you if you sit down."

Nishi let his wrist go with a flick of her wrist and went and sat down on the couch as indicated. She tensed her jaw, but move her lips as if speaking. She was communicating to her wind dragon. He hoped he was not setting her against himself right now. Do that and she could get vicious.

He debated whether or not to toss the mate's letter addressed to him in the fire with the other letter. He ended up crumbling it up and putting it back into his pocket.

He turned back to her and began, starting with the explanation about the stranger, hoping that would keep her subdued.

"I don't know if you noticed, but I took care of Yasha's body." She sat up straighter and looked mousy. "A funeral the way the Hayato clan would if he had stayed with them. Best I could anyway. Burned the body on a pyre. Scattered the ashes off a cliff so the hawk spirit the Hayato believe in could carry him to first say his goodbyes and then take him to the Spirit World. Or so they believe," he explained.

She looked calm. Calm enough for him to sit on the couch next to her, but not comfortable enough to sit too close to her. He avoided her gaze, staring over at the fire.

"I didn't know," she said with a shake of her head. "Not with how Kurama has been."

He bit back a huff at the thought of how the fox was taking up all her time. "Kurama will be fine. If he needs take care of like a child, send him back to his own mother." He had been here long enough.

Nishi sighed, annoyed with him. "He's grieving. And not in the way I had expected from knowing him for so long."

"He's not the only one," he thought out loud.

Nishi bit her lip, looking slightly caught in the wrong in that moment. "How are you in this?" she asked him tenderly.

"Hn," he grunted. "Could be worse. His last act was to keep Yomi from winning the tournament no matter what."

She shifted so she was facing him a little bit more. "I've been wondering about that," she began delicately. "You said something like if Yasha used his will control, once he or the other person, in this case, Yasha, died, then the will control is gone."

He continued explaining. "Hn, well, not completely for some. According to Yasha, sometimes some residual control is left over. The ironic thing with Yasha's power is the stronger someone is, the less likely they are to refuse his orders. Or want to. He actually had Mukuro in his control and ordered her not to care or tell anyone. He let me witness it once as a show of power and fun on his part. He could have at one time influenced her to do anything he wanted. And she was so strong that she was weak against his control. He could have made her do anything. Luckily he wasn't power hungry."

He looked over at her face curiously, trying to gauge if she understood everything he said.

She frowned at him and commented, "but I couldn't refuse. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't."

He took a second to think. Either she was so stubborn that she fought back against the stranger's will control or she was weak enough that he had had less of a control over her. He hoped the first one was the right answer. "I think that topic can be avoided," he said carefully. "It seems that because of how strong Yomi is, Yasha's order, not to win the tournament, still held Yomi in Yashas control long enough for Kurama to disqualify them both. Yomi was the one who removed Yasha's hand and then essentially forced him to continue fighting until he would die from blood loss."

Nishi shuttered at that account. "So you think Yasha had enough residual control to end Yomi's shot at kingship and bring the tournament to an unexpectedly, anti-climatic end?"

"If Yomi was in full control of himself, he would not have fought Kurama back. He knew better. After all, he warned us both right before the tournament that fighting outside of the ring was a no go. He didn't seem to realize he fought Kurama back until that official told him he was disqualified."

Nishi shook her head as if to clear it. "Well... wow... Glad Yasha's only order for me was to follow him until I met Minha.."

The memory of the stranger giving her that order made his temper spike. "That wasn't the plan," he said shortly. "He swore never to control you. We had planned to tell you the plot and for you to meet her to figure out if you were the one from her curse on me without Yasha needing to use his ability on you. One of us two would win the tournament, Minha would read your blood for her ability's presence, and then give her the title of demon king as payment. But I guess after Yusuke got himself and me disqualified, Yasha decided to change the plan without telling me." The memories made his temper shorter, but he bit it back. "And then disappeared with you. At least I got the answer.

"When was the agreement made?" she asked cautiously.

"When I was away the last time," he spoke honestly. "I visited the Hayato territory again. The kingship for the reading. I had more or less decided you had to be the one from the curse because it would make the most since, but wanted to know for certain. Minha would bring it up in conversation, saying there was no way to know for certainty you were the one. That only she could find out. Always planting and replanting the seed of doubt." He remembered how she seemed to enjoy the taunting a little too much.

Nishi frowned, puzzled. "Why did you want to know I was the one from the curse so much?"

He hesitated, not sure how to quite explain that part yet. That was going to be the hardest one to answer. "Back to Yasha," he delayed. She needed to know about what the stranger would do now. "When a Hayato clansman, woman, whatever, dies, the believe after their ashes are scattered and gathered by the hawk spirit, the hawk spirit takes them into the dreams of people who knew them. Dream walking they call it. One person per night. The same person can be revisited on another night. One night for every year they lived. Yasha get 43 nights. I didn't believe any of it, thought it was just religious, superstitious nonsense, until last night when he walked in my dream."

Nishi shivered and looked uncomfortable at the thought. "He can really haunt people's dreams? That's... creepy. He won't enter my dreams, will he?"

Hiei nodded, much to her grimace. "Oh, he liked you. He'll walk into yours soon. I wouldn't doubt it. Whether he walks into Minha's dream though would be a surprise." Bad blood between those siblings. He could not imagine feeling the same way about Yukina.

"Thanks for the warning," she mumbled. "What did he tell you?" She had guessed, and correctly too, that he had already been visited by the stranger.

His eyes flicked over at hers and then he looked back to the fire place. Lots of things. "Among other things, that you deserved an explanation of what happened when I mate claimed you."

Nishi shifted self consciously. "Yeah, why was it a nightmare as Minha called it?"

He took a steadying breath and spoke as if he were talking to Mukuro, someone who easy to talk with. "I was having nightmares before I woke. I was certain I was dreaming still, I was so exhausted and still had the anesthetic in my system. Not a nightmare, but I couldn't think it was real. A dream only made sense at the time. You were too different. You looked different; taller, more muscular, more fit than you had the last time I saw you." He could see her from that time in his mind's eye. "Your spirit power had grown enormously. I was certain you had chosen to be with Jin and that he would eventually mate claim you one day. If you were real, you would have run out that door in fear; if you had even bothered to be in that room at all. Not stopped at the door and then stood and challenged me and offered yourself up for matehood. You would have flinched in pain even. And I knew for certain before I left you had no knowledge of how mate claiming was done. Not something I would have thought Kurama would explain to you considering how dangerous it is."

Nishi reached her hand over, but pulled it away just as quickly as she picked it up. "When did you realize it wasn't a nightmare?"

He kept pretending Mukuro was next to him as he continued, "I had dreamed before of mate claiming someone. Not always you, but the dreams always ended right when I made the first strike on the neck. I realized I wasn't dreaming, but rather this was for real, when the taste of your blood from your neck hit my tongue, it was too late." He remembered that night like it was yesterday. "I was aroused from the taste and had you. We may have both been weakened from our respective fights with Mukuro, but I knew I could easily mate claim you no matter what either of us wanted." He recalled being unable to stop himself. Desire for her in more ways than one. "Not making the claim was no longer an option. I struggled between wanting so bad to stop the process and not complete the mate claim and to make the claim." She was still listening attentively. "But, my instincts were taking over. I was too weak to stop myself. Had I been fully conscious and aware, I would have been able to refuse you. Been able to stop even after the neck bite. Instead, my exhausted, drugged self reasoned the only choice was to make this quick. If I struck the next two bites fast and pulled away after the first drops, you were less likely to die." His stomach clenched at the memory of her laying on the bed bloody and pale after the claim was made. It was a horrific memory.

"You didn't though," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "It wasn't quick. It was awful, no matter how natural it is for demons. I never want to go through that again." She shuddered.

That would never happen again anyway. Although, she could possibly mate claim him instead. That was something he could consider one day. Right now just coexisting with her was enough. And forgiveness was nearly possible. If she could forgive him first.

He continued explaining, even though the memory was ugly, "that's because blood from the chest mate bite tasted better. It was closer to your heart, richer in oxygen, and had a spike mixed of adrenaline, fear, and residual arousal from when we started. My instincts took over and I lost control; changing to my demon self in the process. My only thoughts, if they could be called thoughts at that point, were to drink as much as I wanted and then fuck you. I bit deeply at the third bite on your cunt simply because I wanted to. It was only when you stopped struggling, a clue that I took too much blood from bites and scratches, that I had enough self control to stop drinking and start fucking. I hadn't realized how bad I had rendered you until the mate claim was made and I was back to normal." He took a second to shudder at that memory; the crimson horror of it. How pale she got. How she struggled to breathe. "You laid beneath me, ashen grey in color, bleeding from several wounds, breathing erratically, and unconscious. That was when I fully realized exactly what I had done. I mate claimed you, but savaged you in the process. Two things I had not planned ever to do to you. I managed to finally get you conscious, but I realized without a healer's immediate intervention, you had no chance. You were unconscious again in a matter of seconds. If it wasn't for that female healer's quick thinking, you would have been dead." He let the confessions hang in the air, worried about how she might react to all the honesty.

"So you didn't want me?" Her voice sounded pained and strained.

"Oh, I did," he said in a pacifying voice. "Not enough to make a mate claim." Mukuro was really the only one he considered claiming.

She was quick to anger now, on the verge of yelling, "so why keep me around? Why bother to keep me with you? To bring me into the Demon World, to Mukuro's castle, to-"

She was getting too worked up for her own good. "Mate's shouldn't separate," he stated calmly.

She shook her head. "That's not an answer."

She was not understanding; not understanding why he left and sought space; how in someways it was done to keep her safe.

He try to keep his tone gently so she would stay calm and except what he was saying. "Mates shouldn't separate permanently. I've never been able to stay away permanently. I've found it's very uncomfortable. A dull ache that would never go away after about 100 miles. The days you went to the Human World slowly became more and more uncomfortable. The more emotionally close the two are, the harder it is to separate temporarily. I couldn't leave you in the Human World after the mate claim. It could have killed you more easily than me." Because she had fallen in love with him first. It was her idea that he claim her. "I had no choice. You had to come with me to the Demon World or I had to stay in the Human World, so I brought you here. At the time, I was still under the impression that the worlds were closed off to each other and if I left you in the Human World, I likely would never see you again. Until your cousin and Koenma changed everything. By the time I found that out, I had everything sorted out to bring you here, so I brought you anyway. Might as well. Besides, who else could I be with for the rest of my life?"

He looked back over at her face, trying to gauge how she was handling his confessions. She did not look happy.

"So you kept me around because it was convenient and sex?" It was not just that. She was focusing on the most negative part of what he was saying, completely missing the whole picture.

He felt his own temper rising, making it hard to bite back his own tone. "And what would you have done? Unable to stop yourself from mating claim me and now stuck with only me for the rest of you life?" Hopefully she could understand by putting herself in his shoes.

She pouted and hissed through her teeth. "I don't know," she grumbled.

He kept the confessions going, hoping she would keep herself calm so she could listen with understanding. "Just because I didn't love you then, didn't mean I saw you as a nuisance. Enjoyed your company in more ways than one. I wouldn't have bothered being around you when I was stuck in the Human World if I didn't want to be around you. Less lonely."

Nishi set her heads in her hands and then her elbows came to rest on her knees. "Yasha and you had said you had realized you loved me when I was pregnant the first time. With the twins."

He remembered that. How she had proven just how strong she was both physically and mentally. Just how perfect she was... It reminded him how much he wanted her near.

"It was way too easy for you, especially with two half demon children inside of you." She looked like she was struggling to understand his meaning. At least she look a little less angry with him. "The most you complained about was the cold and the heat. The pain should have half consumed you." Yet she hardly experienced any pain. And what she did feel, she tolerated remarkably. "But you handle it like a demon woman would. With strength and resilience. As a human, either the cold or the heat should have rendered you bedridden like-" he stopped, changing his words before he said them. "Like a normal human. You were strong enough to handle it all. And even..." He let the sentence hang unfinished, looking over at her as if he saw her for the first time in a while.

"And even conceive again when I shouldn't have," she finished for him.

"Kurama thinks Izo healed you through out the pregnancy. And that's why his healing ability is so advanced for his young age. Still," he slowed down as he spoke. "With the healing, it should have been more difficult for you."

"I believe it," she thought out loud. "So you loved me for surviving what should have been a much more difficult pregnancy?" she asked hesitantly.

He spoke truly, "I fell in love with my mate when she proved she was strong in all ways." He looked at her, remembering how strong she was, how lovable she was. The trust would have to be rebuilt, but he decided in that moment to forgive her. He loved her and she loved him back. This could still work.

"But you left," she commented tensely.

She knew why each time, yet she questioned it. "Originally for temporarily and for good reason. I came back. I was caught between you and Mukuro when both of you crossed the line in your rivalry over me," he reminded her.

She looked smaller at the mention of Mukuro. "I wish I had never said what I said to her. She couldn't help her matehood," her voice dripped with guilt.

He figured she could handle the explanation about what really had happened to Mukuro. "Want to get more complicated?" he asked her carefully. She frowned at him in puzzlement. She nodded ever so slightly. He hoped this would not set off the speck of Mukuro's soul in her soul. He really needed to figure out how to get that out of her. "Her father gave her false memories. One was him being nice. Another was the matehood. She had the memory of it happening and the three mate bites. She wouldn't risk her own death trying to challenge the matehood by romancing another demon, so she never considered trying to take a lover or even a mate. When I captured him, he had women with him, which shouldn't have been possible. If they were mated, he should have died. She only found out it was a false memory when I gave her him for her birthday. He admitted it to her when she tortured him." He recalled how the fake mate was still trapped in that cave, burning in black hell fire forever. He felt half guilty, half proud of what he had done.

Nishi shivered, but her eyes stayed brown and her hands stayed still. "So when she found out, why didn't she go find a mate and move on? Was she able to? Or even willing to?"

He spoke honestly and rhetorically, "guess who she wanted?"

"You?" she gasped.

If the two of them had not been mated, she would have been with the wind mage and he could have had Mukuro... or the beauty. That would have been fair, that would have been her fate, but then she would have never been his.

He nodded. "Yes. She couldn't have me because I was your mate. She thought you weren't good enough for me when I claimed you. Not strong enough. And that dislike became hatred when she realized that you too the only person good enough for her years before she even thought she had the chance." He could not help but think how different it all would have been if they had never been mated. yet he did not think now that he could bare the thought. She was his irrevocably and always will be.

Nishi groaned. "'At least I chose my mate.' Those were my exact words." She looked so sad at the thought. "So, then Mukuro must have been the woman who loves you that you don't deserve if it isn't me," she figured. It was a fair thought. He had not ruled out that possibility. Mukuro seemed the likely one to be cursed now, but he would never know. This time he would have to live with not knowing.

"We'll never know," he accepted. "Unless you happen to have a vile of Mukuro's blood lying around."

Nishi shook her head. "Why did you think it was me then?" she asked. "And not Mukuro originally? You met Mukuro before you found out from Yasha was Minha's curse really was?"

"Had to swing back to that topic," he muttered. Now or never. "Why do you love me?"

"Because I do," she murmured.

"Why?" he pressed. Maybe if she gave him a good reason stealing her from the wind mage would not be so terrible.

She shook her head and shrugged slightly. She was so strong. Even now.

He pressed carefully, trying not to upset her. "You knew Jin was in love with you when you confessed your love to me and I mate claimed you." She nodded, looking guilty. "Do you know how long he had been in love with you?" A dangerous, but necessary question.

She shook her head, bring one hand around her middle. "After I slept with him at Genkai's temple?"

He felt nervous. "Much earlier than that. Back in the Dark Tournament."

Her eyes went wide. "What?"

He explained quickly. "You caught his attention when you made the wind dragon a bow and arrow and took aim on his team mate; willing to sacrifice everything to save Kurama. He had heard a rumor of a fellow wind mage was at the tournament, but he didn't know it was a human girl. When he realized you controlled the wind, he fell in love at first sight. Seeing you help Kurama only made you more desirable to him. His fight with Yusuke was in part him putting on a show for you to see how strong and talented he was. He was actually planning to rescue you in case our team lost."

Her face was blank, blinking fast. "Oh my word..." She kept her arm wrapped around her middle. "I didn't know. I used him, and I didn't know." She shook her head, but then suddenly went tense and icy. He suddenly felt very nervous. "Wait, how did you know?"

He confessed, "read his mind."

She took a deep breath and sat up straighter. The way she turned to look at him made his stomach drop. "Wait a minute... when you caught us together, you threw him out of the room. You scolded me like a child. And then when I slipped, not only did you catch me, but you kissed me." She looked so temperamental, but her voice was eerily calm yet. "Why would you do all that if you knew he loved me?"

He wished she would have focused more on his confession of love and less on his confession of theft. He kept up his explanation. "In a team meeting after the preliminaries that you didn't know about, Koenma warned the lot of us that there might be a risk of a demon mate claiming you against your will and that we needed to keep you from going off on your own in case one attacked you."

She looked slightly surprised about that threat which turned out to be an empty threat. She still looked livid with him. "But Jin was different. He was in love with me. You knew that. Why interrupt that?"

She was not brokering any half truths or missing details. He pressed on, hoping she would not set herself against him. He hoped she would focus on how he currently felt, not what he once did. "You had kissed me and then desire me in response," he reminded her. "I planned to act on that after the tournament, so I kissed you to remind you that you were interested in me originally. I had assumed you were a virgin and I found it flattering, and a bit unrealistic, the ideas that I caught running through your head about me. A young, female, human virgin wanted me and I was willing to oblige. Jin's love would interfere with my plans, so I interrupted your interest to deter you from Jin. Plus, I also did what Koenma asked ironically." Back then it seemed logical, but now it turned his stomach.

Nishi's eyes stayed brown, but her fists clenched where they rested on her thighs. He heard her crack the knuckles on her left hand. "How could you do that him?! Knowing all that!" she snapped.

She was angry with him. She needed to set her not against him. He kept going. "Because I wanted to. And when I found out about what Minha's curse really meant, I thought I interrupted your fate." She kept her brown eyes trained with a harsh glare on him. "I think you were destined to be with Jin. You're both wind mages, he wanted to go to the Human World, and had I not kissed you after he had, I can imagine you falling in love with him having a happily ever after." The thought of her with someone else, destined or not, made his throat feel tight. "But I stopped that by kissing you. I thought you were the woman I didn't deserve because I stole you from the man you were fated to fall in love with."

Nishi was off the couch, standing before him in a rush. She stared down at him with cold and unforgiving eyes that flashed blue for only a second. "I can't believe you. How could you do such a terrible thing to him?! You knew how he felt. You could have told me!" Her arm came around her middle. "Instead you intentionally hurt him so you bed a virgin, which I wasn't in the first place. I could have been happy with him." The last sentence was more painful than a stab wound.

He attempted to set her not against him, but against the mate instead. "Would you have rather Minha told you all this? Her mate didn't care I had attacked her, which pissed her off. So her threat for revenge was to tell you about Jin." He could not lose her over this. Too strong, too perfect for that.

The deflection did not work. If anything else, it made it worse. "She knew before I did! What else do you tell her? Or her mate for that matter?" She turned away from him and sauntered over to the fire place. She struck the mantel feebly. She turned back towards him. "If you're so close to them, go be with them. Swap secrets. See if I care anymore." Her eyes glistened.

She could not have said that. He must have heard her wrong. He moved over to where she stood, trying to hold back his temper as he tried to convince her not to send him away. He did not want to go this time. "You're my mate and love me. I'm not leaving." She was sentimental. That had to have reminded her to be gentler.

"I don't want to love you anymore," she choked out. "Leave. You're good at that."

She would never make him do it. She would never raise more than her voice in effort. "And where do you expect me to go?" he tried at logic. "Do you think Minha would just welcome me in open arms after attacking her and then robbing her of her chance of revenge? Her mate doesn't care, but that bitch-"

She cut him off with, "I want you out of this castle."

She would not carry it out. He was in charge of the territory and the castle, not her. "You wouldn't even be in this castle if you weren't my mate. If you weren't Hikari's mother-"

She cut him off a second time. "I don't care. As for Hikari, and also Izo, they stay with me here." She gripped her center with one arm tightly as if trying to hold herself together.

She was not backing down. "Nanashi..." he just breathed her name.

She swallowed thickly and shook her head. She closed her eyes and brought up the wind dragon around her neck. She would not use it against him. It was more of an empty threat escalating. "Get out. And don't come back this time."

She would back down soon. When she opened her eyes, they were ice cold blue. He could not remember a time when she looked so cruel, so vicious. Stray tears fell, but she did not seem to notice them. He felt a shudder cut threw him when his lungs refused to move. He could neither breathe in nor breathe out, let alone talk. She would let him go soon, she had too. He just had to outlast her.

"Get out! Now!" she screamed at top of her lungs impatiently.

He tried to speak, but not even a sound came. She was panting and blinking out tears, yet she still with held the option to breathe from him. He turned from her and moved to leave the room. Her wrongly colored eyes stayed trained on him as he reached the door. Once he was there, she released her control over him. The wind dragon was no longer visible. He was quick to draw multiple quick and deep breaths. Once she let go, she collapsed to her knees. Both hands came wrapped around her waist as she hunched over. Her emotions came out in a torrent as she cried freely, holding nothing back.

He could not leave her like that, in such as state of misery. He could hardly imagine how she would have reacted if the mate had told her what she told him instead. That possibly could have killed her. He went back over to her.

Half way to her, she raised her head up to looked up at him. Her eyes were the normal brown again thankfully. "I told you to leave and I meant it," she barely whimpered out. She hung her head back down and resumed her grief.

The second he stepped away from her, he listened. He left room. Instead of leaving right away, he sought out another staff first, the innocent one whom the sprite had protected from the cocky one and his followers. Nishi should not be left alone. With little explanation, he sent the innocent one to the library and to Nishi just so she could have someone with her if he could not be.

Next, he went to the nursery, promising the sleeping twins he would be back.

Then he left the castle, hoping to appease Nishi as she was reeling from hearing the truth of the foundation of their relationship. Once she had accepted it, he would be back. He would not give her up so easily.

"Mine," he whispered under his breath as he ran out into the cold night air, heading north.

Had the mate told her what he confessed before he had he the chance, it would have destroyed Nishi to hear it, especially the way she had written that letter. It was a sad and pathetic attack, but an attack nonetheless. The mate had gone after Nishi. Now all he could think about doing was going after the mate.


	109. Chapter 109

Hiei stayed near enough to the castle, but not so near that Nishi would sense him or that he could set off a perimeter warning. He would get back in there eventually, but wanted to go after the mate more. It was a desire that he worried could not quite be carried out without it ending in his own death. She had guards, like the beauty and the protective one. Not to mention she also had the large demon for a mate. He was someone who would not stay his hand if his mate was killed. Perhaps she could be drawn out of the clan's territory someway, but just how to do it would be interesting.

He was getting sick of being outdoors by himself. Funny how he had once gone years nomadic, but now after more or less inheriting Mukuro's castle, he had gotten comfortable with those creatures comforts. He found he missed them. Not to mention those who were in that castle. Three especially. One in particular.

When the days blurred together with no hint that Nishi would let him back so easily, he headed north towards the clan. There would be something better than nothing. There he could hope for a crack at the mate.

As he journeyed that way, at one point he halted, coming across another male demon with hair so short he looked recently shaved. He had a short sword strapped to hip. He had an ear piece in one ear and was describing the different things he saw in the woods. The way the short hair demon behaved and relayed messages to an unknown agent made Hiei's own hair stand on end. He was scouting around his girl's territory. This short haired demon needed to be stopped.

Hiei snuck up quickly and quietly behind the short haired demon. Before the short haired demon even realized he was there, Hiei reached him and tore out his ear piece, threw it to the ground, and smashed under the heel of his boot.

The short hair demon was easily startled, turned round, and backed away from Hiei. He stepped back, raising his hands in the air. "Who are you?" he asked in surprise. Fear crept into his voice.

"I could ask you the same question," Hiei responded, hand on his sword, ready in case the short haired demon tried anything.

"Clash," the short demon said.

"What?" Hiei asked in confusion of that nonsense word.

The short haired demon swore under his breath and then shakily drew his sword. Hiei drew his own sword in response, waiting to see what the short haired demon would do before he did anything else in response.

The then short haired demon steeled his nerve and swung his blade at Hiei. He missed, horribly so. Hiei swung his own sword, parrying the blade for blade with the short haired demon. Once he realized the short haired demon was not much of a threat with a sword, Hiei disarmed him and cut him down. He regretted it afterwards when he realized he should have questioned the short haired demon before killing him.

As he watched the short haired demon bleed out, he felt a shift and surprising kick in the back. Before he could round on the mystery assailant, he was grabbed by the back of the hair and shoved on the ground face first, chest second. He felt a large knee burying itself in the small of his back. The large hand in his hair yanked his head back so far his felt back crack painfully. He felt a large sword come under his neck.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now?" a familiar voice asked. He recognized the voice of the large demon instantly.

Hiei tried to answer, but the sword against him neck made it too hard to speak beyond a grunt. He kept trying to answer, but he found that he could not get a word out. His head started to pound.

"My lord," came another male voice.

Hiei breathed as best of a sigh of relief as he could that someone else spoke. He could not see who the other male voice belonged to though. He did not recognize it.

"Where are the others?" the large demon asked.

"Almost here my lord," the male voice answered. "What are you doing to the lord of Alaric?"

"He killed Hideo," the large demon responded. "Not to mention the fact that he never paid Minha for her blood reading, but rather slammed her against a wall."

Hiei heard others come rushing around them. He still could not move.

The male voice continued, "we're on his land by now, are we not?"

"Kouki," the large demon growled the name out in warning.

"My lord," another voice came. Hiei saw a slim demon stepped over to him. He looked eerily similar to the large demon. "Our lady is upset with him yes, but she has not lifted her protection over him. You know you should not harm him."

The large demon growled under his breath as Hiei felt the large sword leave his neck. The large hand still stayed in his hair and the large knee pulled its way off his back. The large demon hauled Hiei up to his feet. "We need to have a private conversation," the large demon said as he half dragged, half led Hiei away from the other male demons he witnessed in the area with them. "You lot stay here and stay on guard. The doxies could be anywhere."

After being forcefully led about fifty feet, the large demon shoved Hiei away aggressively. Hiei rounded on him, freezing with the large sword came back to rest underneath his chin.

"Now that were distraction free, again, tell me why I shouldn't kill you?" the large demon asked in a subdued voice.

"You've got about a dozen men behind you who would be at a loss for what to do should you fail," Hiei shot back.

The large demon was not intimidated. "You never paid Minha for reading your mate's blood," the large demon pointed out.

"I never asked her to do the reading before the tournament ended. That was all Yasha," Hiei replied. "How do you know all this?"

"Both she and Yasha told me about it. In their separate ways." The large demon grunted under his breath. "You attacked her after the reading was done."

Hiei looked up at him, trying to read from the large demon what all he knew. "Did she tell you why I shoved her against the wall?"

The large demon responded with, "you were unhappy that your mate was with her without you there."

The mate had left out an important part about what happened. "Yes, I was because Minha did what I was afraid to do. She tried to bless Nanashi."

It was easy to read from the large demon's face that he had not known that tidbit of information. He swore quietly. Next, he removed his sword from Hiei's neck. "You still got your reading without being paid," he pointed out as he sheathed his sword. "You read her mind to get that answer, whether you were the one who sought the blood reading or not."

Without responding with words, Hiei pulled his overly crumbled letter from the mate out of his pocket and handed it over to the large demon. "She still tried to find a way to be paid." Hiei waited patiently while the large demon read over the letter.

Once the large demon finished reading it, he crumbled it up even more, threw it on the ground, and crumbled it up in frustration. "I told her, Yasha told her, to leave your mate out of this." It was an interesting to see the dissonance between the large demon and the mate. She was really the one in charge, but now he was frustrated with her not following his lead.

"Yasha's visited your dreams?" Hiei asked.

"Yes, and told me, among other things, all about his altruistic plan for your servant Midori," the large demon replied. "He blamed himself for letting that rebellion happen at your castle and as to what happened to Midori and the others. More so with Midori since she fell pregnant. He wants to give her what she desires most, a mate that will love her."

"Is that why you are bringing a bunch of men with you traipsing through Alaric?" Hiei questioned him.

"Funny you should mention that. It's more like we will be killing two birds with one stone here," the large demon preempted.

The large demon began to explain about the issue the clan and their land was having: doxies. Somehow, five or so doxy trios had banded together and poisoned one of the clan's water sources with the neural toxin that resided in their nail beds and gums. Several of the clans who drank the water either died or suffered brain injuries by the poison. The demoness was one of the ones who survived, but she was struggling even to walk properly without assistance. It was a sobering thought. So now the large demon and twelve of his cowardly men who needed to prove they were not cowards were hunting down the doxies. All these cowards happened to be unmated as well.

In return, Hiei explained about Nishi and how he was out of the castle currently until she calmed down so to speak. The large demon seemed rather irked when he found that out. Seemed like he was hoping to use the castle as a headquarters for himself and his men. Likely if Nishi was asked, she would deny them flat out because Hiei, intrigued by the idea of hunting doxies, was with them now.

"... so I'll tell you what," the large demon was about to conclude. "You help the twelve of us kill these doxies, and I'll help you get back into your castle."

Hiei watched the large demon carefully, wondering what he was covering up. "Agreed," Hiei responded.

The large demon gave a smirk where only one side of his mouth turned up. "Kind of interesting that you had no reason to leave your castle. Except for the fact that your human mate has you whipped."

Hiei scold up at the bold large demon. "I'm not whipped," he hissed out. "And you would know considering the fact that you can hardly make a move without your mate holding your hand."

The large demon was quick to counter right back. "We're equals. We stand as equals and make decisions as equals. And when she doesn't remember that, like when she went after you and your mate, it pisses me off. But not enough for me to want to kick her out. Maybe you should get yourself on equal footing with yours instead of letting her take what is yours." The large demon looked back over his shoulder. "Let's go back to the others. I bet Kouki and Jiro are getting antsy about us being gone so long."


	110. Chapter 110

Hunting for those damned doxies was not going well at all. The men were reticent to work with Hiei at first because he had killed Hideo, but after a remarkably short amount of time, they were willing to follow him as he was put second in command. They understood after all that Hideo had attacked first with Hiei defending himself in response.

They had hunted down three doxies, killing two of them and injuring one without taking another casualty. Hayate could almost sense his cousin Ichiro's hand in this out there. Growing up with him, he seemed to understand how wild demon animals behaved. Perhaps because of the creepy way he used to study them when he was a child. It turned Hayate's stomach to even think about it.

Now Ichiro was out there, like an exiled ghost from the past. He had left a letter that told what had happened to the wells he had poisoned and how more deaths would follow anytime he wanted to until the whole clan was poisoned and killed by the doxies he had tamed. Revenge for his exile. It must have taken him all those years to tame and train wild, vicious demon animals to do his bidding. Had to be a miracle in and of itself that they never killed and poisoned him.

Back when Hayate's father ruled the clan, Ichiro was exiled after being caught out for being abusive to a male demon he had taken as a lover. That was uncomfortable to think about as well. Hayate still did not quite understand why the male lover was the crime that got Ichiro exiled, and not the abusiveness. Grey areas like that were usually left to Minha as she was good at making those hard decisions.

Hunting down the tamed doxies though was not a grey area, but rather a black and white issue. They poisoned and killed some people already, so now they needed hunted down and killed themselves before they harmed another demon, Hayato or otherwise. The council approved of Hayate's decision not only to hunt the doxies, but also for him to lead and bring a squad of men who needed to prove or reprove their courage with him. So long as they did not know Ichiro was behind it. They were already cowardly enough about having to hunt evolved doxies, throw in an exiled psychopath who wanted them dead just for their race would probably send the lot of them running for the hills. Hotaka would probably lead the way.

Hayate mulled this all over again while he was on watch while the other twelve men slept. He looked over the lot of them sleeping. The men from the Hayato clan had been out in the wilderness for far too long. One, Daizo, was severely sick. He kept coughing to the point where he would hack up blood and was very feverish. Two others, Jiro and Akio, were similarly sick, but not as bad as Daizo. Hayate did not like his cousin Jiro, Ichiro's younger and saner brother, being out here with them too, but he needed to prove his courage. None of the women in the clan befitting his station that he would have liked to have as a mate liked him back. Ayane would not give the light of day because he was just a so so fighter. High hopes after this mission, Jiro would be seen as desirable by someone in the clan. Or even an outsider woman who joined the clan who had proven herself courageous.

The cowardly healer Hayate had brought with them, Kouki, kept healing Daizo's lungs, but the sickness itself could not be healed. He could only heal temporarily the damage down to his body. Kouki was very concerned about his condition. Daizo was too sick to be transported back to the Hayato clan. Kouki advised against it as the move would be too tough on his already ailing body because it was so far away. Daizo might be able to be transported to the Alaric castle as it was much closer, but Hiei dug in his heels on the idea because his mate took over the castle and would say no because of their association. It was a foolish reason to bend so ready to a mate's will like that. That castle was not hers to claim. That human needed put in her place.

Daizo coughed often during Hayate's watch, but fitfully. He managed to stay asleep though due to how exhausted he was. Kouki lay near him like he had previous nights. Whenever Daizo coughed to hard, Kouki was quick to wake up and check on him.

Towards the end of Hayate's watch however, Daizo coughed harder than ever. He woke Kouki instantly as well as Hiei. Daizo coughed so hard, he nearly retched. He spat a mouthful of blood on to the ground and coughed harder. Another mouthful of blood ended up on the ground.

By now all the men were awake. Kouki was quick to get to Daizo's side. Daizo was shivering even though he was sleeping in the warmest sleeping bag they all had. Kouki was quick to tend to Daizo, give him a little bit of water, and healed his lungs for the umteenth time.

When Daizo managed to fall back into a fitful sleep, only Jiro and Akio went back to sleep as well considering they had a mild form of whatever Daizo had.

Hayate stepped over to Kouki who look more exhausted and worried than ever. He was sitting down next to Daizo, looking grave. Hayate squatted down next to him and asked him quietly, "how is he?" he said with a nod towards Daizo.

Kouki shook his head,"if he can make it to morning, there's a chance." Kouki rubbed his eyes sleepily. "I can heal his lungs, but I can't heal his sickness. He needs time to rest. Indoors somewhere. With access to medicine, warm water, and warm blankets."

Hayate could feel Hiei's eyes on them, knowing he was paying attention to their conversation. "Just do the best you can," Hayate said. Hayate stood up and spoke to those who remained awake. "Go back to sleep. Except Hiei. You've got the next watch. You can let us know if..." For Daizo's sake he did not finish that sentence.

Hayate slept lightly from then after Hiei's watch started, on alert should doxies or Ichiro find them or in case Daizo a turn for the worse.

About an hour before sunset, Hayate sensed too much motion and jerked awake. He looked over to where Daizo lay, entirely too still with Kouki and a few other men milling around him.

Hayate got out of his own sleeping bag and went over to Kouki. Kouki looked up at him and shook his head. "He slipped away quietly. I didn't even hear him cough. Riku and Souta found him dead just now as Souta was relieving Riku of his shift." Kouki delivered the news numbly, but looked on the verge of crumbling after the words left his mouth.

No one went to back to sleep after that. The men were all eerily quiet and somber when Daizo's body was burned ceremoniously on the spot were they had made camp. It seemed like no one there wanted to be the first one to break down first.

Hayate called off the hunting for the day, not wanting to risk it. The only thing they did do was move camp to a new location just to be safe. Now they were more vulnerable than ever.

As night fell, Jiro took a turn for the worse, making the sombered situation even more tense.

Hayate went to sleep and was visited by Yasha dream walking. Yasha reiterated his plan for Midori and gave advice for how to get himself and his squad into the Alaric castle. He needed to get the human to agree to help them and house them. He needed to try to appeal to her protective nature. But she also could be clever, so catching her off guard could be useful. The lot of it sounded so abstract in nature when Hayate woke up, considering he had never met this human and all he knew of her was what Hiei had told him about her.

Hayate also woke to hearing that Jiro was no better, but no worse than had been the previous night. That was enough motivation for Hayate to try a drastic plan. They were as close to the Alaric castle as they had ever been. With how Jiro was, it was a now or never situation.


	111. Chapter 111

What had she been thinking? Kurama kept asking himself that question over and over about Nanashi since he found she forced Hiei to leave the castle and took over the castle for herself. It was a foolish move, one the staff members did not like at all. He could anticipate that if it lasted too long, she would run into issues, seeing as how Hiei was named to lead until their daughter came of age, not her. Yet when Kurama confronted her about that, her response was that if he did not like it, then he could leave too.

That would not do because it could mess up Yasha's last ditch plan to help Midori. It was the least Kurama could do to see that plan through. Every part of the plan had been set in play except for Nanashi's role. How Yasha came up with such a plan to get Midori an opportunity to meet some of his brothers and see if one liked her enough to mate claim her. With how the Hayato clan's numbers were dwindling, a straight, unmated, pregnant with a daughter, woman, would be attractive.

It surprised Kurama how after Yasha was exiled by his clan because of his attraction to men, then why would he want to help them out like that. Kurama disagreed with it, but Yasha wanted it and Midori wanted it, so he would follow through with it.

Kurama, Midori, Hiei, and even the clan's leader, Hayate, were in on it. Yet they still needed Nanashi in on it. Hiei had made Midori Nanashi's lady's maid; an empty title really since Nanashi preferred to do things independently. Yet with that title, Midori would look more appealing to a clansman and to the leader's mate and Yasha's sister, Minha. If Minha took Midori away from Nanashi and into her service, Minha could be convinced that would be payment for reading Nanashi's blood and discovering that she was not the one from Hiei's blessing.

Everything and everyone seemed so twisted and interconnected with each other. And for Midori's sake now, it all depended on Nanashi, who refused to sleep long enough for Yasha to dream walk into her dreams. According to Yasha, Nanashi's mind was difficult to capture and dream walk into, so with how little she was sleeping, Yasha had wasted dream walking nights because of her. Kurama needed to make sure she slept long enough for Yasha to dream walk into her sleeping mind.

Kurama approached Nanashi's rooms and knocked on the door. He heard Nanashi call for him to come in. Kurama went into Nanashi's room, seeing her with Midori. Midori sat on Nanashi's bed while Nanashi put away her own laundry away. She had no need for a lady's maid, clearly. As he walked over to the bed, he tried to walk very carefully, so his hair did not flounce too much. The herbs he had in there that would make a human fall into a deep sleep made him groggy as well. At least they would not effect Midori.

"Midori, I thought I'd find you here," he said easily. She was still a little too excited when she saw him sometimes. Like she still held out hope he might mate claim her instead, which he had already explained to her he was not interested in doing. He looked over at Nanashi, who looked dead tired. "My lady," he teased. She gave her a friendly scowl. Kurama sat down next to Midori on the bed, who put her head in his lap without a further thought. He pulled the herbs he had put together for her out of his pocket. "I thought you may need some more of this for your back. Still hurting?" The fetus inside of her rested against her back often, applying too much pressure.

"Oh yeah, loads and loads," Midori said in a rush. She liked the positive attention he gave her. Hopefully a possible mate for her from the clan would be the same for her. "Can you make something for Nanashi so she'll sleep?" Midori dead panned. Midori looked up at him, but he saw out of the corner of his eye that Nanashi tensed up. "She won't do it. Well, she will, but not enough. I don't want her to get sick."

Kurama winced at how accurately Midori guessed his plan once he had her out of this room. He looked over to Nanashi and asked, "trouble sleeping?"

Nanashi did not seem to want to answer the question. "I'm fine," she said in a tired voice. She turned back to her laundry.

Midori was quick to speak in her rapid voice. "Not trouble. She won't do it. She doesn't want to..." she desisted in speaking.

"Dream?" Kurama asked Nanashi, who gave him a slow nod. She was scared of Yasha dream walking; perhaps she found it very disturbing.

Midori kept going. "Yep. Exactly. And lack of sleep is bad for humans. More so than demons. I don't want her to get sick or anything. I want her with me when my baby is born."

Kurama kept talking to Nanashi in a way that would assuage Midori's request without letting Nanashi catch on to his plan. "I can make you something as well when you can sleep without dreams. If that is what you truly want."

Nanashi gave the briefest glance over to Midori and lied, "Yes, please. Thank you." She twitched her mouth slightly, then tensed her mouth. She did not want anything to help her sleep at all. She just did not want Midori worrying after her anymore.

It was time to get Midori out of the room. Kurama looked back down at Midori. "And speaking of sleep and keeping up strength, you should be resting in the afternoons. Maybe some tea and then a nap?"

Midori pushed her head off his lap, raised her arms above her head, and stretched. "Okay," she said with a cute frown.

She went to take the herbs from Kurama, but dropped them on the floor. Kurama bent down and picked them up for her. He felt a wave of sleepiness hit him when his hair moved, but he managed to shake it off without Nanashi catching him.

He handed the herbs over to Midori who took them and half skipped out of the room, saying out loud, "this pregnancy could be the death of me."

Nanashi gave a sharp gasp. The memory of her last pregnancy was still sharp for her, even if her first son had mostly healed her depression and grief from it. Kurama sparred a second to think how Izo would need to be taught soon enough how to use his healing powers wisely, lest he wore himself out.

Kurama looked back over at Nanashi, whose hand rested absentmindedly on the front of her stomach. "She didn't mean it like that," she looked over at him as he continued to explain. She dropped her hand to her side. "The fetus weighs heavily on her back. She complains about it often enough," he smirked at the memory of how she would complain about the pain in such a cute way. He changed the topic. "So, why don't you want to dream?"

Nanashi stepped away from her laundry, over to him, and sat down next to him on the bed, thankfully at a further distance than Midori had. She was still close enough. Kurama shook his head slightly, moving his hair. In response, Nanashi yawned. It was working without much effort. He doubted she would be able to resist sleeping for long after directly breathing in the herbs.

Nanashi's voice had a hint of a slur in her speech. "It's too weird. he's dead, and now is coming back to haunt dreams. It's way too creepy."

Now or never, but it felt like such a betrayal. Kurama ran his fingers through his locks of hair closest to Nanashi. "It's for saying good bye. One last time. And for plotting one last time."

Nanashi yawned and blinked rapidly. She was trying to resist. She took a quick, deep inhale. Her head started to lull, so she shook it. She sniffed the air suspiciously. Her eyes drooped and her hands came down to the bed beneath her, gripping hard. She pushed herself up off the bed, but only managed to hover over the bed before sinking back down. Kurama ran his fingers more thoroughly through his hair while holding his breath.

"What's that smell?" she asked groggily. She struggled to bring her right hand over to her left forearm and pinched herself.

Kurama kept running his fingers through his hair while holding his breath. Her hand pinched her forearm a second time. He spoke only after he had noticed she inhaled most of the sleep inducing herbs. She continued to fight sleep as he spoke. "We both know, but Midori doesn't know, is that if I gave you herbs to help you sleep without dreams, you still wouldn't use it. You wouldn't use it. You wouldn't take the risk of his dream walking even if you wouldn't dream. He's waited long enough and is running out of time."

"No..." she mumbled frightfully. She did not want to sleep at all and continued to fight it off. She sunk her upper body down on the bed even as she simperingly begged for her wind dragon to stop her from falling asleep. It was pitiful to watch her fight so meekly to stay awake. It felt like such a betrayal, but a necessary betrayal to get her to fall asleep. She lay on the bed with her legs hanging off of it, but her upper body twisted towards him, leaving her body turned so she was laying on her shoulder and side. That had to be uncomfortable, but she was too drowsy to move. She was panting, but not blinking, desperate to keep herself awake.

"I'm sorry I have to trick you like this," he confessed. "But we need you in this plot. One last plot. For Midori." He brought the hand that had brushed through his hair and closed her eyes with it.

She still resisted for a few more seconds before she succumbed to the herbs and her own exhaustion. Once she was fully asleep, Kurama rose up and went to her bathroom. Once there, he rinsed the herbs from his hair via her sink before he could succumb to the sleep induction as well. After rinsing his hair, he toweled it off with Nanashi's towel and used her brush to brush out his own water tangled hair. Under normal circumstances, he would not have so openly used her own things like that, but he did not want to step too far away from her until the dream walking started.

He went back over to her and her slumped over body on the bed. He reached down and pulled off the slippers on her feet. Next, he drew back the covers on the other side of her bed from where she lay sleeping. Then he picked her up and carried her over to the uncovered side of the bed and laid her down softly. Last, he covered up her body and let her be.

He felt tired himself, but had inhaled so little of his herbs that he could resist the desire to fall asleep.

Nishi slept on for several hours until Yasha finally managed to dream walk into her dream. Kurama checked on her intermittently as she slept for over a day. He had had her inhale enough of the sleep inducing herbs to make her sleep for two days; a long time, but her body really did need lots of rest.

Around hour 27 of her being asleep, he checked on her, wondering if he should try to wake her or not. Security alerts had flagged about a stranger getting within five miles of the castle. While Kurama disagreed with her taking over the castle, it did fall on her to decide what to do about the intruder. Since she was in the midst of a dream walk, the Great Hawk Spirit could make her wake up at anytime, regardless of the sleeping herbs she inhaled. Kurama decided if she did not wake up by the time the intruder got within one mile of the castle, he would go confront the intruder himself.

He looked over at Nanashi again. She was mumbling in sleep, but not making any real words. A sign she was still communicating with Yasha. Kurama watched her carefully, leaning against the wall. Just as he was about to leave the room to check about the intruder, she sat up with a start.

She sat bolt upright and called out, "wait!" She was awake so quickly. She must have been made to wake up. "Wait," she choked out. She sat up and took off the covers. She turned around and threw her feet off the side of the bed. "Kurama," she grumbled nastily.

She was mad at him. Of course she would be. "Yes?" Kurama called over to her, getting ready to get this argument over with. At least now she would be in on the plan for Midori.

She jumped as she heard his voice. "Fuck. What gives you the right-" she began in a grating voice.

Kurama cut her off, approaching the problem directly and answering any questions she would have before she asked them. "He's almost out of time and you wouldn't sleep long enough to be ensnared by the Great Hawk Spirit into a dream with him to walk into. He tells her who he wants to speak to and she captures their minds in their sleep. The trick is with some people, it takes longer than others. If they wake up before she catches them, he has to move on to another person or waste the night's chance to dream walk. You've made him waste nights."

She got off the bed and stormed over to him. She looked more livid with him than he expected. He underestimated her temper right up to the point where she threw her right hand back and brought it forward, straight across his jaw. He took, letting her get her rage out.

"So you drug me?" she asked incredulously. She punched him across the jaw a second time, allowing her that for a second time. If she tried anything else, he planned to stop her before her temper got away from her. Yasha had told him of the possibility that she had a trace of Mukuro's soul inside of her own from the mate gift. If her temper spiked too much, Nanashi might lose control of herself.

She tried to hit him again three times, but he managed to step away and block her. "Calm down," he said in a soothing tone. "It seems to me you didn't even to wake up." He found it rather annoying that she stalked after him as he stepped away.

She gave a shout and charged at him. She kept trying to hit him or kick him without holding back while he tried to keep her at bay without doing any damage to her. She shoved him against the wall that was opposite of her bed. She pinned him against the wall. He brought his knee up between the two of them, knocking the wind out of her, but only for the briefest second. She brought her fists down hard on his shoulders. She did it a second time with half the aggression. The third time she did it was no more than a tap.

She had given up on her anger then and let herself slip into sadness. She gripped his shirt and leaned her head down on his chest. She let off a choked whimper. With a resigned sigh, he brought his arms around her, pulling her close as her grief overtook her. Better that than anger. She relaxed in his arms, half letting him hold her up.

Once she calmed down, she asked tiredly, "how long was I asleep?"

He answered her, "It was meant to be two days, but you're awake after 27 hours." She shifted uncomfortably in his arms, but still kept herself very close to him. Hiei probably would have been very jealous to see the two of them like this. "I gave you enough for two days, which means she made you wake up."

She snuggled her face against his chest. "I didn't say good bye. I never really knew him, but he saved my life twice," she whispered.

That was not possible. The Great Hawk Spirit would never have done that. While Kurama had never seen her, even when Yasha dreamed walked into his sleeping mind, Yasha had told her about him at least. And the last thing she could have been described as was cruel. She would have let Nanashi say goodbye, unless something else took precedence.

Kurama thought aloud, "She wouldn't do that. She's not cruel. There was plenty of time left. Then why are you awake?" Then he recalled the intruder he had forgotten all about when Nanashi woke up.

As if for an extra reminder, a large explosion rocked the castle and nearly knocked Nanashi off her feet if Kurama had not had a hold on her. Other voices in the castle echoed and screamed in panic. Kurama thought regrettably he should have taken care of the intruder before Nanashi had woke up. A second explosion, a closer one, hit the castle.

Nanashi slipped away from him as the aftershocks rocked the building. She ran to stand in front of her high window, looking out of it. Kurama came up behind her and saw what she saw; a large figure standing over by the edge of the forest in front of the castle. The figure rocked back and then forth, firing an arrow straight up from the castle. The arrow rocketed through the air and struck the castle, hitting two floors below where they were standing. The explosion and shocks it caused the window above and by them to crack and then shatter. He grabbed her before she could react and pulled her to the ground, covering her body with his. Some of the shattered glass hit him, but missed her completely. He cried out as the glass rain down on him and cut long his back, shoulders, and legs.

He was going to need a healer for this. He could send Nanashi to fetch the Spirit World doctor he brought to help Midori, Daiki. Daiki could heal him.

When the glass stopped falling, Nanashi whispered his name. She helped him to sit down on her bed.

He looked over at her, her face was very concerned. "I'm alright. None of the cuts are deep." He still needed a healer for this, but did not want to set into a panic.

He went to tell her to go fetch Daiki when she told him, "stay here." She looked cross as her gaze cut across to the open, glass strewn hole that was once her window.

Nanashi stepped gingerly around the glass, seeing as how she was still barefoot from when she had been sleeping. "Where are you going?" Kurama asked her.

She gave him a quick look and then stepped up so she was standing on the window's ledge. She stared down towards the ground. She took a steadying breath and summoned up her wind dragon's wings on her back. She looked like a vengeful, dragon-like angel.

A voice shouted across the distance between the intruder on the ground and the two of them in her bedroom, loud and booming. "Nanashi Urameshi! Mate of Hiei Jaganshi! I hope I have your attention by now!"

"Hn," Nanashi hummed under her breath as she jumped out of the window.

"Nanashi, don't!" Kurama shouted at her. It was a stupid, reckless, thing to do.

His back was still injured, so there was no chance he could follow after her. Seconds later, he heard Nanashi's bedroom door open, and a very frightened looking Midori came running in. He managed to calm her down long enough to get her to get Daiki for him.

It took far too long for Midori to get Daiki, causing Kurama to miss the fight Nanashi had with the intruder. Midori relayed what she saw while Daiki healed Kurama, but really struggled to explain what she saw without concrete details. By the time Daiki was finished healing him, Kurama looked out the shattered window in time to see Nanashi leading the intruder towards the castle. Kurama did not like the sight of her right arm, which hung limply at her side, hastily bandage in spotted red cloth.


	112. Chapter 112

Hayate had made his decision. Him and his men moved camp one more time, inching a few more miles down south. After that, Hayate ordered the lot of them to stay at camp while he would go out scouting. Hiei could go out scouting if he wanted to or he could stay at camp and rest. If Hiei went out, he was supposed to go East and North while Hayate would go South and West. They were only to scout out the area to see which way the doxies had moved, but not to engage. He told Hiei to track and when Jiro's health improved, then they could consider hunting. Thankfully the wayward, silently pining demon agreed to all this. It seemed like he was aching to get away from the other men for a short time.

Hayate maintained radio contact at first with Akio, who was in charge of the radio equipment, but once he was within ten miles of the castle, he told Akio he was going radio silence and would return either to radio communication or to the camp within six hours. If he did not, Akio was to tell everyone he was missing in action and have everyone travel south under Hiei's lead. That would raise a flag in Hiei's mind. Akio did not seem to keen with how suspicious Hayate was being, but he could be trusted to keep his mouth shut until the six hours were up.

Hayate made to the castle easily enough by himself. The castle looked in much better than the last time he had seen it when he and others had assisted Hiei to taking the castle back over control. The human certainly knew how to do renovations. He could tell the castle was not the same, but he could not tell where the old castle began and the renovations ended.

As for the human, he was able to sense her based on her rather unique energy signal. It was nothing like a demon's. Another energy signal, half as odd as hers was in the same room as hers. Other clearly demonic energy signals puttered about the castle.

"Right," Hayate muttered under his breath. "Appeal first to her protective nature." He wanted to draw her out of the castle, to try to engage her in a fight. He was genuinely intrigued at the idea of sparring with her, having never met any humans before. Hiei claimed she could fight and was strong, but mates could be biased. Hayate wanted to fight her himself. Besides, she might be more compliant toward hosting him and his men if afterwards he showed her how strong he was. Mix in just a dash of intimidation.

"Don't injure anyone or do any serious damage," he thought out loud. He conjured up a bow and arrow from his own energy, rocked forwards and then back, taking aim at the castle two floors below where the human was, but not where a demon was. He let the arrow loose. It soared across the sky, struck the castle's hard rock wall with a crash that shattered nearby windows. Perfect amount of strength; not too weak but not too strong. He sent another arrow sailing straight for the floor below where the human was. That managed to shatter the large bay window that was in the same room as the human. He shook away the bow to conserve his energy as he watched the castle carefully, hoping that those two strikes would suffice in drawing out the human.

Hayate half smirked as he saw the human standing in the middle of the bay window he had destroyed. It was hard to make out much of her distinguishing features, but one sense off of her told him that was her. In an instant, she had a pair of semi see through dragon wings on her back. His smirk became a smile when he realized he had her set for a fight. He was looking forward to it.

He stepped out of the forest so she could get a better sight of him. He was itching for this spar now. He shouted to her as loud as he could boom, "Nanashi Urameshi! Mate of Hiei Jaganishi! I hope I have your attention by now!"

He had her alright. She jumped right out of the window, without a moment's hesitation. He was impressed by her display of courage. He was even more impressed with how she slowed her fall at the very last second with her dragon wings and landed gracefully on ground in front of the castle. She ran straight at him with swift speed. She used the wind to propel herself faster.

As she ran right at him, she shouted, "you have my attention. What I want to know is why you decided to attack my home?!"

When she reached him, he got to see her up close: long, tangled black hair, dark brown eyes, and a livid expression. Her clothes were wrinkled and her feet was bare. Physically, she was a little too slim though. Hiei had complained before that she really did need to gain more weight and muscle.

When she was right by him, she threw back her right arm and threw a punch right at him. She was a little too slow though. He jumped back from her and conjured up his own set a wings, but ones that resembled a hawk's rather than a dragon's. He flew up into a low laying tree branch. The branch groaned in protest at his weight.

"Wings?" he teased down at her. "So easy to create. Those were the first things I ever created." He remembered how proud his father had been when he succeeded in doing that.

She did not seem to like his teasing as she began to chase him through the air from tree to tree. It was easy to out run her with his speed, but she kept trying. After a few minutes though, she stopped chasing him. She hovered in the air, twitching her jaw as she just stared at him intently. She must have been communicating with her wind dragon creature that Hiei had told him about.

"What's wrong?" he taunted. "Tired out human? Or weary of our cat and mouse game?" He flew at her in turn. "What if I change to chasing you instead?"

She barely moved beyond looking shocked. By the time he reached her, she had only started to fly away from him. He got above her and gave her a swift kick in the ribs, sending her tumbling down towards the ground. She barely managed to stay her fall before the actually hit the ground. He followed her down, bringing his boot down on her ribs again, sending her right into the ground this time before bouncing off of her and flying away.

When she struck the ground, he realized he had overdone it, worried he might have hurt her too much as she lay in a newly formed crater from where she hit the ground. He stood at the edge of the crater and watched her carefully. If he severely injured her, he screwed himself over. She lay on her back, groaning as the dust from crater's formation settled around them. She brought her hand down by her hips and pushed herself up to a sitting position. She rolled her body to the side, half sloughing herself to the right and then breaking her fall with her hands and knees. She replaced one knee with its corresponding foot and then the another. She pushed herself her body up from the ground with effort, getting herself to a standing position with a determined grunt. Once she managed to stand upright, she looked right up at him with a scowl that looked a lot the ones Hiei could throw. She certainly was stubborn alright.

She summoned up her wind dragon around her neck. He studied it carefully, intrigued by its existence. Hiei had told him about it. It was a living weapon, grafted to her soul. Its original owner had made it with the purpose of killing rogue demons who reeked havoc in the Human World. The more demons it was around, the stronger it and and its tamer became. Funny how it ended up with a human who ended up mated to a demon and lived in the Demon World. She had the potential to rival an S demon if she trained a lot harder.

Next she raised her right hand up in the sky, right at him. She was trying to keep him from breathing. She had to have known better that that kind of attacked would never work on a full blooded wind demon like himself or an odd, one off human wind mage like herself. It was entertaining to see her try though. She made an entertainingly grumpy face when she realized he was still breathing.

He took an obvious deep breath and yelled over to her, "that won't work on me human. Same as it wouldn't work on you. Good try though." He felt ready to continue their fun. He jumped down into the crater, sliding down towards her. She ran at him, a whole lot slower than she had been at the beginning of their fight. "Well, you are indeed stubborn after all. With just a dash of foolishness."

She reached him and began sparring, pushing herself to her limits to defeat him. She was landing more hits than he expected. He held himself back to be just above her level. He needed to be careful not to hurt her too much. Whereas, she was not holding herself back at all.

She hooked him straight in his jaw, asking, "so now are you going to tell me who you are?"

He blocked her next punch. "You have no clue yet?" he asked her, curious to see if she would be able to resist telling him the truth because she was human, or would she have to be honest when questioned just like a demon would have to?

"No," she hissed out. She frowned. "Why are you attacking my home?" He kicked her at her, but she managed to shove his foot away.

"Seemed like the best way to get your attention," he commented. He brought his foot back up and shoved her back with it by making contact with her rib cage. "And I've been wanting a good spar for a while now. Your mate was always so willing to oblige. I assumed correctly that you would do the same."

She back away from him, hand coming to her rib cage. He must have kicked her a little too hard. "Tell me who you are," she snarled like a feral demon. He could see why Hiei loved her so much; that fiery spirit...

He closed the distance between the two of them saying, "why? Does not knowing who I am make you nervous?"

He brought his hand down to strike her, but she blocked it at the last second with both of her hands.

She growled out before panting, "yes." She took a deep breath. "Now tell me who you are!"

She brought up her leg and kicked at him hard. He side stepped it. "Lie to me and I'll you," he offered.

She panted heavily, trying to speak, but no words coming out. She was struggling between lying and telling the truth. "I'm not a mazuko," she gave in, saying the truth.

"That's no lie," he responded, half disappointed she did not manage to lie to him when given a direct question.

While this fight was enjoyable, he felt he needed to draw it to a close. He shoved her hard, knocking her to the ground. With her on her back, he stepped over and loomed over her, readying to put his foot down on her stomach to pin her to the ground.

He was ready for the fight to be over, but she was not. She moved quicker than expected. She rolled away from his foot, and then sprang up with her wind dragon out as an ax before he fully realized what was happening. She was ready to escalate the fight. She swung her ax out in front of him, driving a shallow, but long cut across his own stomach. She charged at him a second time, but he jumped away from her, flew via his own energy summoned wings, and went to the top of the crater they had made. She was growing less fun and more annoying now. Almost like she had figured out he did not want to harm her seriously.

"We're using weapons now? Is that it?" he asked her. He swore under his breath so she would not have to answer that question.

She kept her ax out and ready as she ran at him. She was escalating the fight. He conjured up his bow and arrows from his energy for a second time today. She saw the bow, but kept running towards him. He quickly took aim at her upper right arm, firing out three arrows in succession. Each struck exactly where he aimed; the first one where her shoulder met her arm, the second an inch below the first, and the last an inch below the second. She cried out meekly in shock and pain. She staggered to a halt and brought her left hand up to grip her three new wounds. She kept a shaky hold on her ax. Those cuts were going to make handling an ax very difficult.

She braced herself as she growled up to him, "nice shot grouping." She kept her eyes trained on him, but moved her mouth as if speaking. She must have been communicating with her pet weapon. How very intriguing.

He released his energy, letting the bow disappear and watched her. "Are you doing that thing where you talk to your wind dragon?" The human softened her gaze in confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept going. "You're mouth is slightly parted and you look like you're talking, but without moving your jaw. What are you two talking about? Hmm?"

She tried to speak three time. On the third try, she blurted out, "why you haven't tried to kill me yet." She gave a gasp and brought the back of her left hand in front of her mouth.

He gave one peel of laughter in response. She could not lie to him, even if she was another race. She did not seem to like that very much. She shifted her ax into her left hand and took an untrained grip on it there. She ran towards him, not going nearly as fast as she had been previously in this spar. When she reached him, she swung her ax at him clumsily. He summoned up his own ax, a weapon he had not trained with as much in comparison to her though. They parried blows with each other. He kept himself on guard enough to stay injury to himself, but held back enough so he could not injure her seriously.

He kept questioning her, "have you trained with your left hand before?"

"Not enough," she admitted. She gave a growl in frustration. "Why can't I lie to you?"

"No one can," he said with a wink. She did not seem very keen on his response. "Not even your mate."

"That's how you know so much about me?" she thought out loud. She moved her mouth, but he could not quite read them.

"What are you saying now?" he asked her curiously. She bit down on her bottom lip. He could pick up the faint scent of her blood in the air. It did smell like a taste of it would be rather addictive. He took pity on her and let her off without answering his question. "Oh, how clever. If you can't open your mouth, you can't answer me honestly." He frowned at her. She kept trying to get to the side of him or behind him. Her eyes were on his braid, which made him wary.

"Yes," she said as she spat out a few drops of blood from her bleeding lip.

She pushed herself to go faster and faster. She kept close to him, making it harder for him to keep from hitting her in a way to do serious damage. She moved her jaw and her mouth as she panted. She moved to strike his left side, but then struck him on the right side. He blocked her. She went to strike his right side again and he blocked her. But as he brought the ax down to stay her blade, her blade was no longer there. Her right forearm was up in its place as he brought his ax down. She cried out as the blade bit deeply into her arm. He summoned away his ax before it could severe half her arm like a sacrifice.

Not even an injury that needed healed immediately stopped her. She slipped around him and had her left hand entwined around his braid. The feeling of her hand on it made his stomach turn. He only liked Minha touching it. He felt her hands trade places, but kept one of them on his hair nonetheless. Then he felt a sharp blade rest on his back right next to his braid. Must have been from her pet weapon. He wanted her hands off of his hair immediately. She was ready to cut it.

"Don't, please don't," he conceded the fight with only a hint of willingness. If she had not had his hair, he would have turned right around and decked her without holding back.

"Nice to meet you Hayate," she breathed as she dropped her grip on his hair, pulled the blade made from her wind dragon off of him, and stepped away.

He turned right around and faced her, more than ready still to hit her, but he stayed his hand because he already conceded the fight. He looked her over. Her right arm was bleeding from the four wounds he had inflicted. He wondered how angry Hiei would be once he heard about those wounds. "You look like you could use a healer."

She looked down at her right arm and then mutely nodded. She was skittish all over now. Her lean frame looked small next to his tall, bulky frame. "Um," she hummed, looking over her right arm and then back to the castle.

He knew from Hiei she could be taciturn. He found it annoying that she would fight so fiercely and then transform into a shy human when it came to speaking one on one. He said nothing in response, letting the feeling that she should invite him into the castle hang in the air. She began to attempt to tear at the bottom of her shirt, but winced when she used her right arm. He stepped over to her, tore at the bottom of his own shirt, yanking up a strip of it an inch wide from the bottom of it. Once he had a handful of cloth, he stepped over to her and began to wrap her forearm up first without being asked. He tore off a third of it that he did not need and used the remaining cloth to wrap up the shallower wounds on her upper arm. She stood there awkwardly while he did his work.

"Do you have a healer in the castle?" he pressed her.

She hummed under her breath. "Um, there is a healer in the village nearby, but she doesn't want to be in the castle." He waited on bated breath, hoping she would not suggest going to the village instead. "Kura- um, someone brought a doctor-healer of sorts from the Spirit World. To help with the pregnant woman we have in the castle..." she was hesitating.

He felt his patience with her wearing thin. He just wanted her to give in and take him into the castle. From there he could convince her to put him and his squad under her protection, house his squad, get his men to meet that woman Midori, and get Hiei back into the castle. He thought too about how fast she was and well she could fight. She would make potentially an excellent recon scout for doxy hunting. As a human, she was immune to their toxin.

He tried not to look impatient when he suggested, "let's go to this doctor then. Before you bleed all over the ground." She bit her lip. "Then we can talk about why I am actually here," he hinted jovially.

She looked back over at the castle and nodded. He tried not look triumphant over it. She turned around and he followed her bare foot form towards the castle. Once inside, he gave the front hall and entry way a quick look over, thrown off at how foreign it looked to him. His first thought was 'human.'

He stopped short in the entry way. She looked back at him with a puzzled frown. "No one's going to attack me while I'm under this roof am I?"

She shook her head, mumbling, "um, no..."

"If anyone tries, you will intercede right? Protect me?" he pressed her. He doubted she knew about the Demon World custom of giving protection to a visitor in your territory, even if she had leaved here for years. If you gave it, anyone under ranking you would have to answer to you if they attacked the visitor you promised to protect.

She looked at him, clearly confused. "Uh, of course," she agreed verbally. Good enough for him and any other demon who heard about that. While he was in Alaric, the only ones who out ranked her were Hiei and their daughter Hikari. If anyone tried to touch him now, she would be obliged to deal with them. "Can we keep going please?" she said with a glance down at her right arm. Her forearm's bandages were quite scarlet now.

She walked through the castle, greeting staff members as they passed. They greeted her warmly in response, but watched him wearily. They went to the doctor-healer that came from the Spirit World, a Daiki. Daiki healed her arm, asking curious questions about what happened. He seemed a little concerned about how little she knew of Hayate. He seemed equally annoyed about how she promised him her protection as well.

After that, Hayate pulled her out into the hallway and asked her directly, "where can we meet to discuss why I'm here?"

She raised her head up to meet his eyes with a nervous gaze. "Yes, um," She brought her hand up to her hair and ran her hand through those tangles. She also looked down at her bare feet, looking suddenly self conscious at the fact. "I should really get cleaned up first..."

"Where can I wait?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "Come on," she said, turning down the hallway. "You can wait in my sitting room while I go clean myself up."

He followed her once more, this time to her chambers. She lead him into the sitting room, but shut the bedroom door on him before he could even think to follow her there. He busied himself, looking about the room. It was so... human... He wondered at how Hiei could stand it for so long. He had lived in the Human World for a few years, but how could he possibly handle it surrounding him like this?

A rapid succession of knocks rapped on the main door behind him. He heard Nanashi scurry around in the bedroom. She came scurrying through the sitting room, just sparring him one glance before reaching the door. She had a clean shirt on, but the same trousers. She was still barefoot as well. Her hair was pulled back into one brushed and done braid. With her hair like that, she looked like a man.

"Yes," she huffed out as she opened the main door.

In front of her stood a tall human who smelled like a demon. He had long red hair. Hayate recalled what both Hiei and Yasha had said about this demon-human hybrid standing before them. He was not one to be outfoxed. His presence could put a wrinkle in Hayate's whole plan.

Kurama looked right over her and straight at Hayate. His gaze was cold and calculating. He looked back down at Nanashi. "Are you alright?" he asked her steadily.

"Yes," she nodded. "Oh, your back. How's your back?" she rushed.

"Daiki healed it," he explained. He reached his hand over and pulled her right forearm up for a better look. Hayate wondered if Hiei would be jealous of how openly Kurama just touched her. "Daiki healed this too, yes?" he questioned her.

"Yes," she said with a nod. She glanced back at Hayate. "Oh, um... This is Hayate," she said in introduction to Kurama. "And this is Kurama," she introduced for Hayate. Both men stared each other down, neither moving so much as an inch. She did not know the introductions were unnecessary. They had never met before, but they knew of each other. She spoke directly to Kurama. "He's hear to talk to me about something. Something important."

"We can after you finish cleaning yourself up," Hayate told her.

She looked down at her legs. "Oh, right," she stated. "Just hold on a second..." She ran back into her bedroom and shut the door behind her without another word.

Hayate stood still, but felt rather uncomfortable being left alone with Kurama like that. Kurama's eyes did not leave Hayate for an instant. He did not even blink. He stepped into the room and shut the main door behind him. He stood just inside the room and kept his hands behind his back.

Kurama spoke so softly, Hayate almost could not hear him. "According to Daiki, you made her give you her protection?"

Hayate played it cool. "I never made her give me anything."

"What are you doing here?" Kurama cut. That voice could have made a coward quiver.

Nanashi rushed back out of the sitting room before Hayate could answer. She was fully dressed now in clean clothing. She wore shoes that clearly did not come from the Demon World. "Ok," she said. She spared Kurama a look before turning to Hayate. "Where do you want to meet?" she asked him, unsure.

Kurama entered the conversation without being invited, "you should meet in the presence chamber. That's where a leader of a territory would meet another leader." Nanashi nodded slowly. "I'll accompany you," he added.

"Ok," Nanashi said in relief.

Hayate tried not to look livid about that idea. He had a feeling that Kurama would not like it if he attempted to trick Nanashi in anyway. This suddenly got very hard.

Nanashi led the way to the presence chamber. On the way, Nanashi ran into a staff member, asking her to fetch tea for them in a nice tone. Once at the presence chamber, Hayate thought the room was still much too human for his liking. Even worse, they did not sit down at a low table with cushions on the floor, but rather in chairs at a higher table. Such an odd way for them to sit. Nanashi and Hayate sat down at the table set for three across from each other. Kurama's empty chair was between them. Kurama did not sit down though, saying he did not want to after Nanashi asked him to. Clearly Kurama did not like him, which made him doubt how easily he could convince Nanashi of all the things he needed to convince her of. He wished he could think of a way to get her to send Kurama away.

They settled down in the room with everything feeling so tense. A maid came into the room, bearing a tray with three tea cups and a pot tea. The maid bowed to them shakily due to the tension in the room.

"Thank you Sayuri," Nanashi said hoarsely.

This maid, Sayuri, began to serve the tea. First she served Hayate. Then she looked unsure at the sight of Kurama's empty chair. Nanashi nodded towards the empty chair. Sayuri poured a cup for Kurama and set it in front of the empty chair. Lastly, Sayuri served Nanashi a cup.

As Sayuri moved to leave, Nanashi shot out her hand and touched Sayuri's arm gently, but firmly. "Thank you again." Both women's eyes met a little too long for Hayate's comfort. It was suspicious. Sayuri bowed to her gracefully and left the room with Nanashi watching her go. She moved just a little too quickly. The scene made the hairs on the back of Hayate's neck stand up.

When Sayuri had left, Nanashi turned back to facing forward in Hayate's direction. She sat still, not moving, but looking paler than she had earlier.

Hayate could not shake the feeling that there might be something wrong with the tea in front of him. Nanashi would not have the time to do anything to it or ask someone else to, unless she did so before she jumped out the window to chase after him. He doubted that though because of the state she came after him in. She had looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Hayate watched Kurama out of the corner of his eye though. He would have had plenty of time to do something like this.

Hayate hated the fact that some poisons that worked on demons might not work on humans. The whole pot of tea could be laced with a poison and he would be the only one poisoned. He bent forward, gesturing towards her cup and said, "after you."

"Guest first," she stated.

Hayate kept his face blank when he said, "you'll forgive me if I would feel safer if you drank first. Your staff respects you. Some likely love you. They know you."

She frowned fully in his direction. "You think they'd poison you?" she asked disbelievingly.

Her disbelieving reaction made him relax slightly. He shrugged. "They don't know me," he pointed out. He still watched Kurama out of the corner of his eye, but paid most attention to Nanashi in front of him.

Kurama entered the conversation from his post, "you did attack their home. And one of their leaders."

Hayate did not like how Kurama just stepped into the conversation. Hayate leaned his chair back onto its two back legs, balancing there carefully. He flashed Nanashi a smile, saying playfully, "I only wanted to get your attention. It worked."

Nanashi blinked a few times. She furrowed her brow, reached over, and took his cup from in front of him. She brought the whole cup to her mouth, boldly threw her head back, and downed the whole cup in seconds. She slammed the cup down in front of her. Her mouth had to have been scolded from that heat. She next picked up her cup, drained it, and set it down on the table next to Hayate's cup with a clang. Lastly, she drank all of Kurama's tea and set the cup down next to hers. This bold human was going to need to excuse herself before long...

"How long before the poison sets in?" she asked boldly.

Hayate could not help but laugh at her. The brashness was likable. He seriously doubted that he was going to be poisoned anymore and felt almost silly for thinking it was possible. He set his chair back down on all four legs. He reached over, taking his cup back from her. He cleaned off the rim with the end of his sleeve.

He looked over at her, smirking. "Some poisons that work on demons may not work on humans and vice versa." Her nose twitched. He reached over and grabbed the tea pot. Nanashi tried take it from him, but he brushed her hand away. He poured himself a new cup of tea. "You know what would be really clever? Is if you had in mouth a poison that didn't affect humans, thus poisoning my cup now after proving the tea wasn't poisoned." He brought the cup to his lips and took the smallest drink. It tasted normal. He winked at her. "Something you both could easily think up." He nodded towards Kurama. "he gives you the right poison in a dry form to hold in your mouth, you drink from my cup, spit the poison into it, I feel safe, drink, and I'm dead." He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Kurama entered the conversation again. "Do you really think we'd do that?" he asked defensively.

Hayate hummed under his breath, knowing now based on both of their offended reactions that he was safe. Neither one would have tried anything. And if they would not, then no one else in the castle was likely too as well. She was in charge, even if she took over the castle. The demons here followed her willingly seeing as how they did not rebel about her take over.

Hayate commented to Nanashi, " An unexpected move. One both of you are capable of coming up with and successfully implementing." Kurama still looked overly cross. To him, Hayate asked, "you're the one Yasha knew right?" Yasha did seem like the type to fall for someone who brooded so easily. Opposites attract.

Kurama lost his composure for a second, drawing in a quick breath. He gained it right back in a blink of an eye.

"50 seconds," Nanashi cut back into the conversation. Hayate turned back to her. "50 seconds until the poison kills you," she said with a forced laugh that did not sound authentic.

Hayate leaned over the table towards her. It was high time to try his luck with the human. "Dead in less than a minute? I better start talking fast." He drummed his fingers on the table. The motion caught Nanashi's eyes. She watched him, easily distracted. Good to know. When he kept going, she looked back up at him. "What kind of poison? The run of the mill kind?" He knew Kurama was watching him as well. He drank the rest of his cup, feeling safe enough to do so. "Doxy poison?"

Nanashi looked completely confused, but Kurama had a nervous glint in his eye.

"Where would we get doxy poison?" Kurama asked. Hayate was getting tired of him entering the conversation.

Hayate mused, "funny you should mention it." He poured himself another cup. He blew on it to cool it down before taking a sip from it. "Doxies are the reason I'm here. You have an infestation on your hands."

Nanashi shot a quick glance back towards Kurama and then turned back to Hayate. "What are doxies?" she asked them.

Hayate jumped to answer before Kurama could interject. "Very dangerous. Typically very low class demons, not even worth labeling D class. Hairy, black, skinny, three foot tall beasts with two sets of wings." Nanashi looked a little nervous now. "Alone, they can't fight worth a damn. But they have razor sharp teeth and claws, laced with an especially interesting poison. Their bodies symbiotically breed a neural parasite in their mouths and nail beds. Acts like meningitis would to humans, but only affects demons. Harmless to humans." Nanashi looked over a him, her mouth slightly open. He took a second to take another sip of his tea. "Usually stay in packs of three and are nomadic. But, like all demons, they can evolve, move up in class, and grow stronger. Nasty things also are proven to be quite vicious. My lands have hit the doxy jackpot unfortunately. Nine doxies from three different groups, currently demonic class C to B, have banded together and started causing some hell in my lands. Clever little monsters poisoned the wells in the southeast of my lands just for their own amusement. By the time me and my people realized what had happened, fifteen were poisoned, of that only two survived. One of the survivors can barely walk. Probably will never run again." The thought of Aiko's survival, but now as a cripple made the words catch in his throat. "All those that died were women, something we already lack. Let me be very clear. I want those creatures dead."

Nanashi leaned over towards him, enthralled by the terrifying story he told. He hoped her only knowing about seventy-five percent would be enough to hook her. She did not need to know about Ichiro's involvement. No one else did either.

Hayate felt Kurama looking right at him as Nanashi asked, "where are they now?"

Hayate recalled Yasha's advice when dealing with this human: appeal to her protective nature. "Your lands." She looked taken aback by that fact. He glossed over unimportant details for her, hoping neither she nor Kurama would catch them. "After they poisoned my wells, I gathered up a squad of ten men with me to hunt them down. I wouldn't risk taking any women at this moment, even the bravest of the brave. Some of the men I brought are bloody cowards and need to prove their courage. Three of my men have died so far on this campaign." He paused, knowing he had to say the next part carefully, lest she set herself against him. "Right before the third one died, we ran into someone interesting. Apparently you threw your mate out of his own castle."

"It's not his. It's Hikari's," she corrected shortly.

Her temper was heating up. On one hand, he knew he needed to appease her. On the other hand, he just wanted to put her right in her place. He would like to get her to admit her take over was wrong too.

Hayate held her gaze. "He's the lord protector until she is old enough to rule herself." He softened his expression, proceeding with caution. "Anyway, he was on his way to visit me again I guess when we came across each other. He fought one of my men and killed him before he realized the man was Hayato. To be fair, the man's hair was so short, he may as well have been bald. And he did attack Hiei first. The fool. Now he's helping us as my head team leader, since he killed the last one, hunting the doxies down. We have eliminated two so far, and injured one." Nanashi had squirmed a little when he spoke. He hoped he could be careful enough to get her to agree to house his squad without picking up on the fact that they had Hiei with them. It was a risky bet.

Kurama stepped into the conversation in a way that was slightly distracting towards that fact. "How long have you been hunting?" He stepped over to the table, but stayed standing there. His hands rested gently on the back of his chair.

Hayate flicked his gaze up to Kurama, but turned back to address Nanashi. "Just shy of four weeks. It has been a long time for some of those men. The hunting is rather difficult because they're hard to locate and destroy. The problem we've found is when men on the ground locate them, rally back together, and go back after them, they have left, disappeared. Either because we were too loud on recon or too slow getting back."

Kurama chimed in, "they do have heightened senses. Especially hearing and smell."

"So we have discovered we have to move fast when we locate them." Hayate proceeded cautiously once more. "I fly and Hiei runs, almost as fast as I can fly." He took a second to wonder how well Nanashi could scout. She could fly and run pretty fast herself. "We both move fast enough to the rally points where the others are, get them up, and attack. We've succeeded in ambushing them twice with this method. It's too dangerous to face them alone because they are quite sneaky." He picked up his tea cup, fiddling with it as a distraction. Nanashi's eyes darted down to watch him. "Problem is..." He left the sentence hang unfinished, getting ready to draw her in.

Nanashi looked up to Kurama for guidance, but he was looking carefully at Hayate. Hayate felt like he was a book being read. Nanashi turned back to Hayate. "Problem is what?"

Hayate took the chance to reel her in with his request. "We're tired. Morale is low from camping for so long. We may be a small race, but we Hayato enjoy the finer things in like like hot showers and warm beds." He gave her a smile, adding in an extra request. "And would like some help. Interested?"

Kurama's green eyes went icy. "Why should we help you?" Nanashi turned her head to look at him.

Hayate turned back to Kurama, determined not let him ruin this. He nearly had Nanashi eating out of his hand. "I was directing that last question to her. And I thought I made it all clear enough. Doxies. Poisoned water supplies. Could kill any demon with ease. Including her half breed children. Including your new lover." Hayate regretted that last jibe the instant it was out of his mouth. Kurama could ruin this who thing now if he really wanted to.

Kurama looked subtly livid. "There's nothing going on between Midori and me like that. I'm one of the ones who formulated the plan to pass her off to your mate in hopes she can restart and find a better life with your clan."

Hayate kept going, trying to keep himself in check. "After you turned down Yasha's first plan. For you to mate claim Midori and take her with you to the Human World instead."

"Really?" Nanashi asked Kurama.

Kurama moved to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He was going to attempt to lie. "I'm not interested in her that way." He frowned.

"You can't lie to him," Nanashi informed him.

Hayate did not like the cross look Kurama threw him. "Have you even tried? You slept with one woman. She wasn't good enough to persuade you?"

Nanashi drew back in surprise while Kurama looked unfazed as he said, "she's not my type. That's none of your business."

This argument was too tantalizing to not get sucked into. Minha would have given in too certainly. "I think you just haven't found the right woman yet. You've been in the Human World too long. You act like they do politically. Disagree on one issue with a person, so you automatically have to disagree about everything and refuse to help them on any other issues. It makes me sick."

Nanashi asked mousily, "what's this all about...?"

Kurama was more than willing to explain the concealed argument, all while throwing it into Hayate's face. "You told your people you sent Yasha away as Mukuro's hostage because he flaunted his homosexuality and you didn't want them, especially your mate, to think you condoned such behavior."

It was Nanashi's turn to interrupt now. "That's not the real reason he was sent here. It was so he would take control of Mukuro's will and keep her from attacking the Hayato or forcing you into her service."

Yasha must have been comfortable enough with Nanashi to speak so openly. "Now how would you know about?" Hayate asked her.

She hummed under her breath and snuck a cautious glance over to Kurama. "Yasha told me when he dream walked into my dream a few hours ago," she confessed. She looked suddenly shaken.

Hayate nearly swore. He might have interrupted that when he attacked the castle. "You finally feel asleep long enough for the Great Hawk Spirit to ensnare you into a dream for him to visit?"

Her eyes glistened. "Yes. And your attack on my castle forced her to wake me up before either of us was ready. I didn't get to say good bye."

Hayate could have kicked himself for how that could have screwed up Yasha's plan. He spoke gently in a tone he usually saved for his son when he was upset. "I'm sorry about that. He might have one more chance to visit you. He visited me before you. He could have told me you were next on his list. I would have delayed my attack..." He was unsure if he would have had that window to do that though with how sick Jiro was.

The conversation sunk into a lull. Kurama took the opportunity to swing it back to where he wanted it to go. "And you wouldn't tell your people the truth because..."

Hayate seethed, turning back to Kurama. "His ability to control anyone's will, demon, human, or anyone else, is a coveted ability. I couldn't let people know about it. Could you imagine if he were forced to use that on someone like Koenma? The results would be catastrophic for all three worlds. The secret was kept in his immediate family and others whom he trusted to tell." He reached over to his tea, fiddling it once more for a distracting effect.

Kurama seethed in turn. "So why say it was because of his sexuality? Why not say it was his choice to be the hostage instead? You also told him he could not return until after he mated to a woman."

Hayate felt ready to snap. "Because I disagree with it alright." He gave the answer he knew Minha would say, one he was not quite sure he could agree with. "Males and females were created together. To have and rear children together. How does homosexuality help a people continue on generation after generation? My people's population is dwindling. We don't have enough women. The women we have are unable to rear many children. Less than two is the current average. This is a problem that hearkens back to my great grandfather's generation when a deadly plague struck us. It's the reason we are so open to accepting people from other races into our own. Such as the likes as Minha and Yasha's family. Same sex relationships will only make our population crisis worse, especially when women taken women for mates. So excuse me for forbidding it among my people and sending away those unwilling to remit from it."

Nanashi questioned in disbelief, "you exiled people for that?"

Hayate hoped this sudden argument would not ruin what he came here to do. "It's a choice, so I in turn gave them a choice. Find a mate of the opposite sex or leave."

Kurama was quick to say, "it's not a choice."

Hayate was just as quick to counter the way Minha would have. "Says the man who has only been with one woman once and men the rest of the time. As we all know, Hiei bedded both men and women, men more than women. But he finally made the right choice to stick with a woman." He gave Nanashi a quick glance, adding, "A damn fine woman at that. Would have been better if he saved himself for his mate though. But he made the right choice and even had two children with her. Would have had more if it wasn't for cross breed fertility issues."

Kurama was incredulous. "His preferences are not my preferences."

Nanashi gave an exasperated sigh. "Both of you calm down. I don't care what either of you think about... sexual preferences. I think the main concern right now is the doxies." Hayate liked how pragmatic she was being. She turned to Hayate. "You came here for a good spar and to ask for help with them. Not to fight about... personal belief systems. What do you need from me to help you with the doxies?"

Hayate could have kissed her if neither of them had a mate. However, he must have looked triumphant because Kurama was quick to try to intervene. "Nanashi, can I speak with you alone-"

He looked back towards her and desisted in speaking. Instead, he went back to studying Hayate. "You two can hash this out later in your own time. Without me having to put up with hearing it." There was the stubbornness he had heard so much about. Seemed like Hayate lucked out and she set herself against Kurama instead of him and their argument did not screw him over. "Right now we have to stop those doxies. Hayate, what do you need from me?"

Kurama looked put in his place with what she said. Hayate smirked and leaned back in his chair, giving into the temptation to goad just a tiny bit. "I want to know your opinion about homosexuality?"

"Does it matter?" she cut.

Hayate tipped his chair back, trying balance himself on the back legs. She needed to be slightly distracted now lest she refuse him in order to refuse Hiei. "Want to talk about it another time?" Her face clearly said no. "I'll take that as a no then..." He brought his chair back down to its four legs. In concession for Nanashi being set against her friend instead of him, he took a moment to pour a cup of tea for Kurama and set it down in front of his chair. "Alright. I want you to help me with recon-"

She interrupted him abruptly, "I won't work with Hiei."

He nearly swore. She remembered he was in his squad still. He spoke quickly to remedy this. "You don't have to work with him directly. You're going to be working with men who are Hayato and need to improve their courage. You can recon with me first and then fly solo. We have radio communicators with ear sets so the squad can talk with each other. Three reconers can find the doxies faster than two. Especially one who is immune to their poison." She nodded. Almost there... "I want, for myself especially, for my squad to stay in your castle while on mission. They are fatigued from being in the wilderness so long and homesick. Even those with short hair miss a hot shower, real beds, food that isn't cooked over a campfire or raw or stuffed with preservatives."

Nanashi went to speak, but closed her mouth and shot her head towards the door when an urgent knock rapped on it. Nanashi jumped up and went to the door by herself. If she were Minha, she would have asked Kurama to do it.

She opened the door and bid the knocker to enter. The wail of an upset child was evident the second Nanashi opened the door. Hayate could not quite see who it was with Nanashi's frame blocking the doorway. Nanashi was quick to reach over to the person at the door and took black haired child from them. She said something as well, but her voice was drowned out by the cries. Nanashi kept speaking with the person, but Hayate still could not hear what either of them was saying. Hayate watched her as she turned away from the door and used her foot to kick it shut. She turned around and he got his first real glimpse of the half breed child in her arms. Warmth radiated from that crying toddler. That was Hikari; someone Hiei loved nearly as much as he did Nanashi. Second only to her. Nanashi sat back across from Hayate, but did not resume their conversation. Her attention was focused solely on comforting the child on her lap.

Then Hikari calmed down enough and asked for Hiei. Nanashi shook her head. Hikari responded by raising a hand up to hit her, but Nanashi gave her a look that made her change her mind. Hikari screamed in Nanashi's face, but Nanashi did not even flinch.

Hikari looked unhappy at her inability to get her way. She turned her head away from Nanashi and looked down at the table next to her. The air around them suddenly grew warmer. Kurama's untouched tea cup boiled almost instantly. Hayate watched the temper tantrum display of power. For a three year old, it was impressive. When the cup was nearly empty, it cracked into four smooth pieces, with the remaining splashes of tea rolling over it.

"Dada," Hikari whimpered as she laid her head sleepily down on Nanashi's shoulder. Nanashi took an annoyed sigh.

"That was impressive," Hayate said with a nod toward the broken cup. Hikari looked up over at him. "Hello there my lady," he said with a smirk. Hikari turned her head away with a whimper. Hayate gave a laugh at her suddenly shy behavior. Did she get that from her mother or father?

A knock rapped on the door a second time. Nanashi hesitated, holding Hikari still. She looked up at Kurama. "Please?" she requested.

Kurama turned and went to the door as she requested. He opened it to the sound of another child crying, but with a softer, more plaintive cry.

A nanny stood in the door with a light blue haired boy. There was the son Izo. Number three on Hiei/s list. The child that was born the way Hiei was not. A potential healer and fighter. "I'm sorry my lady. He got really upset when I came back without Hikari I guess."

Nanashi called over to her, "bring him here too." She stood up awkwardly balancing Hikari in her arms. Hikari squirmed in her arms unhelpfully. She sat down on the floor while the nanny carried Izo down and handed him to Nanashi. "Better?"

Hayate could not see much of the three of them from his seat. "So," Hayate preempted as he dragged his chair over so he could see all three of them fully. He leaned down towards them, bringing his face as level as possible with Nanashi's own. She looked back up at him. "What are their chances of being immune to doxy poison?"

Nanashi looked taken aback by the question. Kurama answered for her, "Fifty percent. If they aren't, it might not affect them as badly as a full blooded demon."

Hayate only looked at Nanashi, instead of looking over at Kurama. Nanashi looked like a shrinking violet at that information. She pulled her twins closer to her without a second thought.

Hayate addressed her, directly stating his address, "My men are the men who are putting their lives on the line for both my people and your people. Ridding our territories of the high powered doxies before they can do anymore harm is our goal." Nanashi watched him carefully as he spoke. "Men who have been in the wilderness for weeks. Lonely, demoralized, fatigued. All so they can stop doxies. What I'm asking for is basic rights to reward to them for their valiant effort." Nanashi swallowed thickly. "Let us stay here. They need this. I need this. We need this."

"Ok," she promised.

"You promise?" he pressed. She nodded slightly, without speaking. He needed her to agree to this verbally if it were to have any hold. "I want your word."

"You have my word," she stated directly. She pulled her twins closer yet.

Hayate took a risk with having Kurama in there. He could feel him watching him. "You will help us scout and hunt?"

Nanashi lowered her head down, resting it on Izo's head. "Yes," she mumbled into the boy's hair.

Hayate pressed on, taking the risk of pushing for the best guarantee of his own safety and his men's safety, Hiei's included. He hoped Kurama would not say anything. "You'll put us all under your protection?"

"Yes," Nanashi rushed out. She leaned her head down to hover over Hikari's head.

Hayate heard Kurama seethed airily. "You shouldn't have done that," he said quiet as death. Hayate heard him plain as day.

Nanashi turned her head towards him. "What did you say?" she asked him.

Hayate watched as the two of them share a silent and wordless exchange. Kurama was disappointed and annoyed while Nanashi looked frightened and concerned.

Hayate stood up and clapped his hands once loudly. Nanashi jumped, turning abruptly back to him with a gasp. "Well then, time's a wasting. Let's go get all my men." He needed to be sure he got back, with her in tow, before the six hour time limit he set expired.

Nanashi looked down at the two toddlers in her lap. "They need to lay down first," she stated directly.

"Take all the time you then, my lady," he allowed respectfully. She had just willingly gave him all he wanted to request of her and then some. Those damned doxies would be dead so much sooner now. He could nearly count their dead bodies.


	113. Chapter 113

"Is he back yet?" Hiei grouched over his ear piece. Hiei had been scouting, recklessly getting farther and farther away from the men then he knew he really should have. He just wanted distance from the squad and from the large demon.

"Not yet, my lord," the techy responded respectfully.

"Is he back in communication with you yet?" Hiei asked irritably. The large demon went off the coms shortly after he went out reconing on his own. He also suppressed his energy so Hiei could not sense where he went.

"Not yet, my lord," the techy responded.

"Tell me when he is," Hiei griped.

"Yes sir," he replied.

Hiei continued to scout around, but found no sign of the doxies. The last time they came across those elusive creatures, the one he killed had one target: the large demon. Hiei could not figure out why though. The creatures mind was too primitive to give him much more of an explanation than that before it died. The next time they had one, he needed to search its mind more thoroughly without it dying in the process. If those demons had truly evolved from below D to C and B levels, they had to have more of a thought process than one target.

After ranging far, he suddenly sensed the large demon's overly expressed energy signature. It was almost like he was egging someone or something on to come and find him. Hiei started back to where he was, just to be sure the large demon was not doing anything stupid.

"Sir, sir, he's back," the techy announced over the coms.

Hiei rushed straight back and arrived back to their base, wondering why the large demon continued to flare his energy. Hiei could not even sense the other men around them. The men looked ready, if you call it that with them, while the large demon looked nonchalant.

The large demon crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Thunder," he threw a tease over to Hiei.

Those challenge passwords... Why did the large demon or his squad insist on them. It was such a waste of time. They knew it was him. "Those challenge passwords are so stupid. You know it's me," Hiei retorted.

The squad looked a little more relaxed. Those who had taken out their swords put them away. The healer dropped his sword, which prompted the large demon to shout at him to run laps around the camp. He then restated the challenge password.

The large demon would just keep saying that stupid word until he responded appropriately. "Hn, lightening. Where the hell were you?"

The large demon continued to exude energy. "Getting us a better place to stay and some extra help. Perfect timing my friend." The large demon side stepped, revealing, of all people, Nishi standing right next to him. The two of them inevitably locked eyes and stared at each other in surprise. The large demon concluded, "a castle to rest in, an additional aerial scout and fighter who is immune to doxy poison."

Nishi stuttered out, "wha... wha... what have you done?" She looked... betrayed.

The large demon turned back to speak down to her," whatever it takes to take those creatures down and avenge the people they've already killed. The large demon's booming voice announced, "Alright, reunion's over. Pack your things men, we're moving out. If we move fast enough, we can be there by nightfall. Hot meal, hot showers, warm beds. Tomorrow, we're doxy hunting."

Nishi was horror struck while the men jumped up and were in a mad dash to pack in front of her. The second team leader was busily barking orders to get the other men moving as quick as they could. They were suddenly so energetic, so beyond excited with the announcement that they were going to his girl's castle.

Nishi rounded on the large demon in a full rage. "Did you trick me into allowing him to come back to my castle?"

The large demon went short tempered with her and her negative response. He faced her. "First off, it's not your castle." Nishi's angry was obvious all over her face. "And... sort of. It's not my fault you didn't put two and two together. I told you he was one of my men in my squad and you agreed to let my squad stay in the castle."

She was red in the face, shouting, "stop packing!" The men stopped right in their tracks. "None of you will set foot in my castle. And I'm not helping you anymore." She huffed, turned and then took off.

The large demon called after her, following her into the woods. The men went from excited to disheartened in a flash. Hiei looked over towards them. They looked over at him, wondering what to do. "Keep packing," he instructed them. He followed after the large demon and Nishi.

He caught up with them easily, but he did not want his presence known quite yet. He flitted up over the tree tops and came to rest above them. He watched the pair of them arguing intensely. He could not help but like how fierce Nishi was, even though she was livid.

Nishi was on the verge of tears. "You tricked me!" she accused him. Hiei was itching to know just how the large demon tricked her exactly. In their argument, they might reveal it. "You obviously know what he did! He seems to tell you everything and that I don't want him around me anymore!" Her words stung smartly.

The large demon did not back down when faced with her fury. "Yes, alright, I tricked you. For that, I'm sorry, but what you just did is unforgivable."

What she just did? "What do you mean what I did?" she asked in disbelief.

The large demon did not hold back, yelling at her without a care, "such human politics! You like one part of a deal, but not the other, so disagree with the whole thing with no compromise. You gave my men your word that they could come into the castle and then when you realized it meant your mate was allowed back too, you changed your mind. You've crushed them. You've demoralized them. Do you know what happens to a fighter when he is on a mission and feels demoralized?" She looked half ready to back out of this fight. She shook her head mutely. "He is so demotivated that he gets lazy, clumsy, and careless. He messes up. He could fuck up so bad that he dies or his comrades die. Do you want that to happen because you wouldn't keep your word?"

She shook her head and took a steadying breath. She raised her head up to make eye contact with him. Bold when afraid. That took inner strength. "No. Everyone but him and you can stay. And I'm still not helping you." She was ready to compromise.

"Come again?" he growled at her.

Nishi seemed to shrink away. "All but him can stay. And I'll help."

"What was that?" he pressed, insisting on getting what he wanted.

She rallied feistily. "I'm not agreeing to what you want me to, so drop it."

He stepped closer to her, but she refused to back away. "I didn't know you were so immature. Why are you so hesitant to let him come home?"

She looked like an angry child caught in the wrong. "He interrupted my fate; forced his way between Jin and me just so he could sleep with me because he thought I was a virgin. I was meant to be with Jin." Her words echoed Hiei's confession that had pissed her off so much the speck of Mukuro's soul took her over. Hiei silently hoped the large demon would not bring that out of her. When this added drama was all over, he was going to find a way to get that speck out of her soul.

The large demon softened his tone of voice. "Do you really believe that?"

She nodded. "Of course."

The large demon continued, gently probing her into explaining herself more. He was being careful so she would not rail against him. "Do you feel this way about everyone who ever changed your life's course? Hating them immediately based on one thing they did years ago?" Hiei felt his ears draw back. The large demon was attempting to convince her to take him back very subtly. "I was told your parents died in a train accident. Are you angry with the man who was the train when it crashed? If it wasn't for that man, your parents would still be alive. You would have never met Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabra, Koenma, Hiei, etc. You would have never met Jin. That crash interrupted whatever normal human fate you would have had." But if that crash had never happened...

She listened to him intently. Her mouth twitched silently.

"Better yet, bring your wind dragon up," he ordered her. She blinked a few times and then followed his order. The wind dragon rested comfortably around her neck and shoulders. It raised its head up and nuzzled her cheek comfortably. Hiei tried to bite back the jealousy he felt at watching that. "I know you weren't born with him. How long have the two of you been soul grafted?"

"Since I was 16," she answered. She brought her hand up and stroked her creature's chin affectionately. "He was a gift from Kaze, his creator. Right before he died," she added reminiscently.

The large demon continued to try to make see things from his perspective. "A rare and precious gift for a fledgling spirit detective. Now, what color was your spirit energy before the soul graft?"

She stuttered. "I... I... I don't remember," she looked slightly panicked. She twisted her full, soft lips. "Green."

"I see," the large demon said cockily. "And it's white now. One thing I know about pure bred humans with high levels of spirit energy is this: they don't naturally develop an affinity for any of the elements." She pursed her lips. "Your Kaze may have created the wind dragon, but I would bet it was not a natural creation born from affinity for the element wind."

Nishi spoke hollowly, "You're right... Kaze and the other elemental fathers used a mix of magic, spirit energy, and alchemy to create us-them-it. None of the alchemists had an elemental affinity before they were created. Each alchemist chose his own unique element from the seven elements."

The large demon asked, "so, you are angry with Kaze?"

Nishi looked shocked. "What? No."

The large demon was almost ready to reveal his trump card. Was truly going to convince her stubborn self she was in the wrong and to take him back...? "But he interrupted you fate. Both him and his creation. Does realizing that now make you wish to be rid of the wind dragon?"

She looked offended. "Never," she growled. She was just so... determined.

The large demon up his anty, driving his point home. "So a stranger can interrupt your fate. A human alchemist can interrupt your fate. A creation born of magic, spirit energy, and alchemy can interrupt your fate. All of them can do that without you bearing them a grudge. But your mate can screw over another guy so he could fuck you first instead." She winced involuntarily at the brashness of his words. "Gets no mercy, no forgiveness when he tells you what he did. Years ago. The man you have claimed to love. The very man you asked to mate claim you. You asked him, not Jin. The father of your children-"

She shouted him down before he could drive his point home. "My decisions are not of your business."

The large demon was annoyed to be dropped like that. "When you decide to screw over my men, it becomes my business."

"Your mate-" she growled.

"Is a bitch," the large demon finished for Nishi surprisingly. Where was all his happy songs about being equals? It seemed too much like a trick via commiseration. He might mean it or he might be playing a dislike my mate card too, but I'm still with her. "Surprise I think that way about her? She is a bitch. She thinks the world owes her something and like to get her own way." The large demon's fury died down as he spoke about the mate. "I couldn't stand her when we were growing up. But I chose her as my mate because she promised to give me a blessing that I would have many children; making her the best choice. When my father died, she was there for me in ways no one has ever been before. My disdain for her disappeared when I saw how tender and compassionate she could be... I applaud her desire to seek out the kingship without trying to fight. She can't fight worth anything, but get two men to do it for her in return for a quick blood reading? Clever. I however don't approve of her trying to bless you like that, knowing he didn't want her to touch you. Your mate's attack was warranted that. That should have been the end of that." His confessions rolled of his tongue so easily with Nishi. She had that affect on people.

A silence settled around the area they had argued. The large demon snuck his hand behind his back, out of Nishi's sight, but within Hiei's. He beckoned twice. Hiei took it as a clear summons for him to come down to him. The large demon must have known he was there, possibly the whole time.

Hiei took the chance to enter their private argument. He called down from his roost in the trees, "then why did you let her write hateful letters to both Nanashi and myself? The one to me was a waste of time reading. The one to Nanashi told her all that happened with Jin. With emphasis on her 'poor taste in men.'" The memory of that letter made him was to go after the mate all over again. A pathetic attack, but an attack against Nanashi nonetheless. An attack he tried to bypass and failed miserably at. An attack that called for revenge.

Nishi flared up when she saw him, "of course you're here right now."

With a nonchalant grunt, he jumped to the ground.

The large demon looked hopeful. "The first I heard about those letters were from you when we ran into you. What did you do with them anyway?"

Hiei stood as close as he dared to Nishi. Drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She looked more docile now than she used to. She looked like she could be convinced after being told off. Convinced... and kissed... "Burned them," he answered to the large demon. "We're almost done packing if you're done telling her off. You may continue." While he words said nothing, his underlying message for the large demon said 'leave us.'

The large demon took the underlying message and dismissed himself. "She changed her mind back. We can go soon. I wished you hadn't burn the letters though. Among all her talents, Minha's hand writing is quite beautiful. Nanashi, you'll need to carry a few things if you don't mind. We've all got a long walk ahead of us." With that, the large demon strode away.

Both Hiei and Nishi watched him go. Hiei turned back to Nishi first. Her mouth was slightly parted and her face had a pink tinge to it like when she would first wake up in the morning after a good night's rest. She had such a fierceness and such a vulnerability. The combination of the two should never have worked together, but with her, they paired well. Being so close to her like this made him desire her to the point of no self control.

Nishi stepped towards the same direction the large demon went. Hiei stepped in front of her. She looked so vulnerable in that moment when she tried to step around him. When she was vulnerable, she could convince-able. He stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"Let go," she said with all the fight drained out of her voice.

He did not want to. He gripped her wrist harder and then shook his hand away from her. "You needed that," he grumbled.

"Excuse me?" she asked in disbelief.

He spoke when he should have kept his mouth shut or had his mouth on hers in this moment. "Someone needed to tell you off and I knew it wasn't going to be me." She looked down at him with soft expression. "Or Kurama. I figured it would have been Yusuke."

She looked so desirable. He stepped over to her, pushing her against the nearest tree and kissed her. He brought his hands down to her shoulders, using them to raise himself up higher and bring her lower enough to give him the better access to her mouth. It had been much too long. He could feel her tense up and shiver as he pressed himself up against her. It was a slightly off reaction from what she used to do. Her lips parted, allowing him to deepen the kiss between the two of them. He let himself hope against hope that the time spent apart followed by her argument with the large demon would be enough.

Then her hands came to his shoulders, clutching his cloak desperately. She pushed him away from her and turned her head to the side. This was an unexpected move that gave him immediate access to her neck on her mate bite side. He held firmly on the other side of her neck and her shoulder as he went after the mate bite, wishing it would turn her on the way it would have if she were a demoness. He kissed and nipped at the spot affectionately.

Something was not quite right about the way she squirmed in reaction. "Stop," she pleaded. She did not want him touching her.

Time apart had not softened her to him. The large demon's words had not done enough either. He took his mouth off of her in an instant, but he shook so physically hard that letting her go was not quite possible. He nearly missed her wince.

He bit back his frustration as he thought out loud, "when's the last time you let me truly enjoy you?" She froze up, not even breathing now. "A good, long fuck." He knew he needed to let her go. "Months. Before the tournament. Before your miscarriage. Before that impossible conception."

He wanted her so much that he was not sure how he managed to pry himself away from her. He could not even bring himself to look her in the eyes just in case they flashed blue at him. She shoved him unnecessarily as the sinking realization hit him that he had ruined whatever chance time and the large demon had tried to buy him.

She stormed off to where the squad was and he followed her, but not to closely. She went right over to the large demon as he heaved two bags tied together onto his back. The large demon looked taken aback to see her so close and so soon.

She addressed the large demon, but everyone heard her warn him, "if he touches me again, the deal is off."

The large demon looked down at her, not quite sure what to make of her words. He took a second to shoot Hiei a look that was a mix of impatience and disappointment. He turned back to Nishi, agreeing, "deal," like a turn coat traitor. He hardly knew her and one threat from her was all it took for him to take her side. Hiei how she could get someone on her side like that with such ease when she wanted to. "If you're with us, then go over to Kouki there and get some gear on your back." He pointed over to the healer, who looked up at the sound of his name.

She turned away from the large demon and did as the large demon told her. She knelt by the kneeling healer and asked in sultry voice, "what can I help with?"

The healer was tongue tied, seeing his first human up close in his life. "Um, well, my lady, um," he babbled before he tumbled into an explanation of how to tie down bag before she carried them. She listened intently, trying her luck at tying down the loose ends with the healer guiding her.

The healer was much too close to her. Hiei started to think he would not be a good choice for the sprite after all. "Mine," he hissed under his breath jealously.

Only the large demon caught what he said because only he reacted. His head snapped up, he looked over at Nishi and the healer, looked back over to Hiei and shook his head once. She had her claws in him too.

Hiei stepped over to the large demon and threatened loud enough for everyone to hear, including the healer, "you better hope I never see your mate again." If Nishi could threaten the large demon, then so could he.

Of all the infuriating things, the large demon let loose a a sharp cackle. "That sounds like a possibility." He went from looking amused to harsh in a second. "But that also sounds like a threat. Not a smart thing to say around myself and my men. Not a good idea to threaten their leader's mate." The large demon looked over to where Nishi was without moving his head. "You know if I kill my mate, I'll have to have yours killed." Hiei heard Nishi give off a small gasp and saw her turn around to look over at them. She was frightened. The large demon followed up with his own threat, "and that would be a shame, considering what a helpful one you have."

"Don't you dare touch her," Hiei challenged.

The large demon reached down by his feet and threw Hiei his bag that he had been given when he joined them. "Anything you do or even attempt to do to Minha will happen to her," he pointed over at Nishi. "Besides, you being under Minha's protection is what kept you alive when we found you. She doesn't have Minha's protection staying my hand if you escalate things." The large demon stepped away from him and went to help another demon with his bag. As he did so, he informed Hiei, "and don't try turning on any of us either. Nanashi put everyone single one of us under her protection when I asked her for it. Yourself included. And since you continue to act like she outranks you when she doesn't, you'll not touch anyone else here."

Her protection... She did not know Demon World politics as well as she knew the history. Mukuro kept Nanashi out of politics when she was alive and the council kept her out of it after she was dead. The large demon was playing every card he had at his disposal to defeat the doxies.

"How dare you-" Hiei began, not ready to let the matter drop.

"Just stop it will you!" Nishi begged him fervently. "Before the two of you escalate this even further!" She looked frightened still, even as she stood with a pack on her back. She jumped when the healer tightened her pack on her back. Hiei was ready to back down before he saw the challenging smirk on the large demon face. "I said stop," she threw at the large demon. She stepped away from the healer before he was finished with her bag and traipsed off into the woods by herself.

"Oye, get back here!" the large demon called after her as he followed her. "You need to get in formation."

Once everyone was set, with Nishi with a scowl etched on her face, they formed up and headed for the castle. It was slow going, but it was practical going. The large demon made a good call by having Hiei do the scouting on the way back.

"No sign of them this way," Hiei said over the coms as he checked for sights, sounds, and senses of the doxy. It was odd to look for an absence of them instead of signs of them. He still wondered why the doxies were more focused on the large demon than anyone else.

"Nanashi," the large demon said her name like a swear word over the coms. "Get your ear piece back in."

Very faintly, Hiei could hear her voice, possibly over the large demon's coms. "I'm sick of hearing his voice..." she grouched. "Besides it hurts my ear."

"You need to know what he sees, hears, and knows in case something happens. You'll get used to the way it pulls on your ear," the large demon explained shortly. He was running out of patience with her.

"Were not trying to find the doxies, were trying to avoid them," her voice echoed. "If you don't pay attention to what he says, you could get hurt." The large demon barely keeping himself from shouting.

"I won't get hurt. I can protect myself," she retaliated. "I'm strong."

Hiei entered the large demon's guarded mind. 'Leave her alone.' He saw her through his eyes. She was short tempered now and not about to back down.

'No,' the large demon responded mentally. 'She needs to learn how to listen. How to follow orders.'

'Now's not the time for that,' Hiei responded. 'You push her too hard and she'll shut you out completely. Appease her now and she'll be more supportive later.'

'You better be right,' the large demon thought back, ending the silent conversation. Through the large demon's eyes, he saw the large demon reach out and pull Nishi over to him by the hand none too gently. "You either wear the ear piece or you stay right next to me. Your choice."

Nishi looked none too pleased as she stood more less a shadow for the large demon the rest of the way back to the castle. Hiei was relieved to see it again.

Once they were in front of it, Nishi dropped her pack and took off running for the door. She said she would be right back. The large demon followed after quickly. Hiei and the others waited until the large demon called them in. Once inside, the staff was surprised to see him. The now very pregnant sprite ran over to him and hugged him tightly.

After that partially tolerable reunion, Nishi and the innocent one had the squad follow after them to the rooms set up for them. Not surprisingly, Hiei would be sharing a room the large demon and not with Nishi.

While on this walk, Hiei communicated privately with the fox so he could know what he knew. The large demon attacked the castle, sparred with Nishi, and convinced and tricked her into giving them all her protection, housing them all, and assisting them all to hunt the doxies. The fox stood in on their meeting, but allowed Nishi to be tricked into letting the squad stay so Hiei could come back. The fox did not like the large demon, but he was willing to let that slide so Hiei could come back. He had tried to stop Nishi from agreeing with everything, but she would listen fully. Knowing both of them, neither the large demon's actions nor Nishi's surprised him.

Once Hiei and the large demon were alone in their new room, Hiei rounded on him fiercely. "Was it necessary to trick her?" He kept his voice down so no one else would overhear. "The fox told me everything, so don't try to hid anything."

The large demon gave a vague shrug and half threw himself down on one of the small beds in the room. It was almost comical because he did not quite fit. "Got you back in the castle, didn't it?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to her?" Hiei seethed as he approached the large demon.

The large demon closed his eyes and responded, "you would have tried and failed to stop me. And then would have screwed this up somehow because your mate would have caught you. Plus she's immune to the doxies and moves pretty fast. A flying human is such an odd thing to see."

"I don't want her hunting too," Hiei grumbled as he began to unpack his own bag. Part of him did not want to argue with the large demon anymore.

"Too bad. I do," the large demon opened his eyes back up and sat up. He rolled off the bed, grabbed his pack, and began to unpack as well. "I want those doxies dead. You want to be with your mate in this castle. I don't see why we can't accomplish both missions. Plus we can get Jiro a mate that's already pregnant. All of those work for me."

Hiei and the large demon lapsed into silence after that. Hiei took a chance to read Nishi's mind to find out what she had been thinking. Same story he got out of the fox. He hoped when he asked her about it later, she would tell him the truth.

Both of them and the rest of the squad got cleaned up and were at dinner as soon as possible. Hiei bit back a growl in his throat when he got up to the dining hall and Nishi sitting at the head table in the middle; the spot where he was meant to be. Those who were in the room were watching the two of them carefully. Hiei stared up at her while she avoided his gaze. She stood up gingerly and moved over to the empty seat to the left; the seat where she belonged. An easy victory.

Hiei went to step up and sit down in his place when his girl loudly, shrilly, and excitedly for him. Her boy next to her was silent, but noticeably excited to him as well in his calm way. Hiei stepped over to the side table where the two of them sat with their nannies. He picked up his girl, let her cling to him as long as she wanted, even as others watched, and then sat her back down. Her boy reached his hand across to Hiei, touching his with a barely there gentle one. Her boy was more than aware than his girl. And more hands off and physically distant than his girl with him. A simple touch and a silent look was on the same plain as a hug from his girl for him.

After those too polar opposite exchanges, Hiei turned away from them and went to the head table. He took his seat. Nishi behaved childishly. She slouched in her chair and cross her arms. She barely picked at her food, a habit she had when she was upset or angry. She would regret that tomorrow when the large demon thought her how to scout. She was going to be worn out by him.

As soon as the meal was over, Nishi jumped out of her seat and was over to the twins. She picked up her boy and pulled him close to her. He looked over up at Hiei, casting an almost questioning look.

Nishi left the room with her boy while a nanny carried his girl. The other nanny followed suit. Hiei was tempted to follow after him, but the fox next to him stayed him with a hand on his forearm. "Easy," he barely breathed. "Give her some time."

Hiei sat back, leaning against the back of his chair. He did not get to relax for very long as the large demon announced a squad meeting in, his words, Hiei's presence chamber. He also asked Hiei to go get Nishi for it, but Hiei echoed the fox's words right back at him. The large demon conceded to that request.

After the large demon and his men piled out of the dining room, heading towards the presence chamber, Hiei hung back with the fox for a moment. "Are you coming?" he asked the fox.

"No," the fox said, standing up as the sprite came bounding up towards him. "And you know why."

"You don't have to agree with him to help us," Hiei responded.

"I playing my part for his sake," he said with his eyes trained on the almost there sprite. "And if she doesn't like one of them, it won't be terribly disappointing in my mind. At least he got you back into the castle."

The fox stood up as the sprite reached them, dragging him into a very animated conversation about the days events. Hiei side stepped away from them and left, not wanting to get caught up in her excitement.

He left the fox with his charge, leaving the room all alone, walking the lonely halls to the presence chamber. He had met back up with the squad and waited.

The demons in the room looked up when he arrived, but did not say anything. The large demon led the squad meeting like usual, repeating all he ever said for who knows how many times. He never add or curtailed any information, even though all of these demons could probably recite his words line for line by now.

When the meeting was over, the large demon pulled Hiei aside and instructed him to find Nishi and tell her what she missed seeing as how he let her skip this meeting.

Hiei sensed Nishi in the nursery with the twins. Before seeking her out, he took a second to read her mind, seeing her side of the events. She was still fuming about being tricked by the large demon.

She had also met secretly with the fox, who tried to convince to concede and let him come back. If she could not do that, than she should fake it so Hiei would not go after the mate. She was considering adding that deception to her long list of deceptions.

She sat with the twins now, reading. Her boy liked to do that, but his girl did not seem to care. They were almost old enough to start to learn how to fight, reading could be learned later. They had discussed that before. She was undermining him this way too.

He went into the nursery, seeing Nishi sitting at the far side with the twins, reading a childish story with them. Her boy was interested, but his girl was only sitting there patiently.

His girl did jump up when she saw him and ran over to him, grabbing him by the legs. As he picked his girl up, he told Nishi, "you missed a squad meeting."

Nishi jumped at the sight of him. She closed the book, marking her page absentmindedly. She could be both ferocious and timid; right now she was teetering on the edge between the two. He bit back budding attraction he felt for her. How could she be so annoying and so attractive at the same time.

She swallowed thickly, saying, "I didn't know."

"It was mostly bullshit, repeat of the same things we've been doing for weeks," he explained to her. "But it's stuff you need to know," he said without malice.

"Enlighten me," she said with a hint of malice.

He pulled out the papers the large demon had given him when he started scouting. They had been crinkled up, folded, and refolded several times since then. He knew she disliked seeing papers like that, but it was better than her going in completely blind with this mission. He tossed the papers down to her, over that childish book rather than over her boy on the left side of her lap.

"All that reading's making him weak," he thought, realizing too late he said it out loud.

Nishi looked livid with him, but so did someone else was livid with him too. His girl squirmed in his arms and slapped him on the side of his face with surprising strength. He looked at her in surprise. She slapped him a second time, and then pushed to get down from him. He nearly dropped her in his concession to set her down. She went straight for her boy and hugged him.

"I disagree," Nishi murmured under her breath without looking up at him.

She put one arm around the both of the twins and brought her other hand to the papers she was reading. As she read, she angled the papers in such a way that the twins would not be able to see too much of what she was reading.

She had a perplexed look on her face. She asked without looking up at him, "What's the gist of this? What is the plan for tomorrow?"

"Hn, we hunt tomorrow starting at sun up to sun set. That's everyday until the doxies are all dead."

She flinched at the sight of a picture of a dead doxy. She covered it up with another piece of paper in a rush. "No rest for anyone?"

He pointed out, "on the back of the second page is the rest schedule." She flipped it, noticing that one person got to rest each day. Hiei was annoyed that she was put at the bottom of the list, right after the large demon. The large demon should have been at the bottom because he was the leader. He continued explaining, "since you, me, and Hayate are recon scouts, our schedule is the one below that. When you're not scouting, you will be incorporated into the Osamu's team instead of mine. Figure the rest of it on your own time."

She set the papers down and nodded. She reached the hand that had been on the papers back, scratching her neck in thought.

She kept her head down and stayed her arm on the twins as she spoke, "can you explain it all to me? After the twins are in bed." Her voice was soft and sweet, intermixed with a hint of nervousness. She looked up at, right in the eyes. "In... our bedroom." She could barely say the last two words. This was the start of another deception from her.

She looked back down at the twins and very gently moved them from her lap to the floor. She took the papers in her left hand, clutching them tightly. She stood up and stepped over to him. As if forcing herself, she brought her right hand under his chin, bent down and barely kissed him before pulling away. He had to summon up his self control not to grab her like he had in the woods.

She dropped her hand on his face and pulled away from him skittishly. He hated that he figured this was her way to begin her new deception.

"Change your mind again?" he asked her, testing her to see how truthful she would. She merely closed her eyes and nodded. A new deception. "Liar," he hissed at her in bit back rage. She looked taken aback. "You don't think I would want to know what you were thinking? Joining forces with Hayate? Agreeing to house his squad? I wanted to know the truth, so I read your mind before I came in here. Had to get passed that story you were reading first. You're thinking of self preservation. If you take me back, I won't go after Minha. If I don't go after Minha, Hayate won't go after you. So you plan to fake taking me back until Hayate and his men are gone."

She scowled at him. "Why do that?" She sounded offended.

"Because you've lied to me before," he responded shortly.

"Not here," she said, with a glance behind her at the twins.

"In our rooms once they're asleep?" he asked her. She nodded in agreement. "Alright then," he agreed with her too. "Do you want help putting them to bed?" he asked, hoping she would say yes.

"No," she said, turning away from him and back to the twins. She picked up his girl, who was a bit resistant to her.

He left her with them and went back to the room he was sharing with the large demon. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he answered just so he would not have to deal with resisting answering questions. The large demon did not push him for any conversation thankfully.

He went over to his side of the room and got ready for bed. He laid down on his bed and fell asleep nearly instantly. He almost felt bad with how much he desired Nishi on one hand, but on the other hand, he gave her a taste of her own medicine by making her wait for him in their room when he planned to never go there in the first place.


	114. Chapter 114

Nishi woke up the first day late. The large demon and Hiei had gone to wake her. She had been naked, which made it all the more annoying that she was being so distant but physically and emotionally.

Once she was awake and with the squad, the large demon trained her how to scout. She had no clue at all what she was doing. She struggled to travel, both by air and on foot, stealthily. She had a steep learning curb to grade. The large demon was impressively patient with her for him. Her team leader as well was being patient with her as well.

By the week out though, the large demon and Nishi had such a pointless argument between the two of them. Nishi had been braiding her back in one braid; which the stranger had told her forever ago made her look strong. Yet according to the clan, men wore one braid while women wore two. The squad members who had hair long enough to braid, braided theirs as well in one braid.

They had been ready to go out hunting for the day, but the large demon stopped Nishi by the arm as she was walking past him. He held out another hair tie for her, saying, "two braids, not one."

Nishi turned to face him, looking confused. "What?"

"Since you're hunting with us, you need to appear more, well, acceptable to us," he told her.

She slipped out of his grip and asked him, "what do you mean?"

"In our culture, warrior men wear their hair pulled back in one braid. Warrior women wear their hair in two braids," he explained. "The way you are wearing your hair around us makes you look like a man. It's made some of us uncomfortable."

"I'm not from the Hayato clan," she responded. "In the Human World, women can wear their hair in one braid. Little girls wear two braids. I'm not a little girl."

"I know you're not a child, but you won't look like a man with two braids," the large demon responded tersely.

"No," Nishi said simply. "Get over it."

"Just change it," the large demon said shortly.

Nishi shook her head, which made the large demon growl. Nishi gave a hiss under her breath. She reached over to her braid, untied it, and shook her hair loose. "Fine, you win. I'll keep it down."

The large demon's face took on a red tinge in annoyance. "You can't wear your hair down like that. It will get in your face when you have to move quickly."

"Then I'll braid it back in one braid," she said resistently.

"Nanashi," the large demon growled out her name. Nishi held his gaze, refusing not to back down over this stupid argument. The large demon looked at her curiously. "Will you let another outside decide?"

"Sure," she said tiredly.

"Hiei," the large demon called him over, dragging him into this petty argument. Nishi looked about that. "We'll give you two five minutes and then come to us." The large demon stepped over to him, placing the unused hair tie in his hand. He then led the rest of the squad away, just leaving Nishi standing nearby Hiei.

Nishi scowled as she watched the large demon walk off. She stepped over to Hiei, handing him her hair tie. She wordlessly knelt down in front of him. He tried not to think the thoughts running through his head at the sight of her like that.

"Hurry up. Do as that jackass bids," she grumbled.

"If you had ever seen the whole clan, you would understand better their views of the showing strength and masculinity versus femininity," Hiei explained as he pulled her hair back behind her back. He started to braid one half of her hair.

"I understand their leader is a dick," she grumbled.

Her annoyance over this petty argument swayed him to appease her instead of the large demon. He shook out the braid he had started. He pulled the whole lot of her hair back and clumsily braided it all back in one braid like she wanted rather than the two braids the large demon wanted. It looked so lopsided, with a few stray hairs out of place.

When he finished, he tied it off with just her hair tie. She stood up, pulling her hair into view. She looked puzzled. He really just wanted to kiss her after touching her hair so much like that.

"Don't gloat with him over this," Hiei warned her as he headed out to where the squad was waiting for them.

Nishi chased after him and walked in step with him. Seemed like this possible ploy by the large demon to sweeten her even a little bit to him as he was hardly irked when they met up with the squad. Luckily it did not set off the piece of Mukuro's soul in her. After the hunting was over, that would need to be removed.

After that day, Nishi was a little more good tempered with the large demon. As a passive ploy for peace, she wore her hair not in a braid or braids from then on out.

On her rest though, they finally found the all the doxies on their own in the woods. Hiei was scouting when he found them. When he got back, the large demon was so quiet and yet so animated. He broke down their plan for their ambush of the eight doxies they found. It was risky with how many doxies there were, but the large demon and the others were willing to take the risk.

When they attacked, the large demon lead the charge with Hiei close behind. Hiei was determined to get into the mind of at least one of them to see why they were so strong, so vicious, and so vengeful. Why they were so determined to kill the clan. Why they wanted to kill the large demon so badly.

With the healer and two others, Hiei managed to to pin down one doxy. He sliced the hands off of the doxy and then burned the wrists so it could not bleed out before Hiei got a proper chance to read its mind. The healer pinned it down with a sword pressed sharply on its neck enough to keep it from biting anyone, but not enough to choke it to death.

Under Hiei's orders, he told the two others with him to protect him and the healer while he read the mind of the doxy.

Hiei slipped off his headband. Hiei grabbed the back of the doxy's head, careful not to let it bite him. He closed his eyes as he slipped inside the doxy's mind.

It, no, she resisted immediately. Her only thought was to bite and fight. She wanted to kill the large demon. She growled, hiss, and snapped her jaws. Hiei forced his way deeper into her mind, incapacitating her as much as possible. She finally gave him some more information that made the blood pool in his stomach.

In the doxy's mind, the images of someone who looked eerily similar to the large demon and his cousin, but with no hair. The doxy was terrified of him, but obeyed him because he was a source of food. He was not food. He killed two of the three pack members. He then adopted the lone, grieving doxy. He found food. He found other pack members. He was leader. He was to be obeyed. He wanted the braided clan dead. Now the new, the super pack, wanted them dead. They would die. First with poisoned water to draw a few out. Then kill the large demon. Then kill the other men. Then those in the odd looking castle. Then go back after the braided clan.

Hiei pulled out the doxy's mind. He shoved the healer's sword down on its neck until her throat was cut and head was severed. Hiei turned around and saw the two other squad members who were protecting him managed to kill one together.

Then he heard the large demon let off an anguished shout. He leaned down over the body of the cousin. The cousin had large scratch wounds sprawled across his chest and torso. He shouted half understandable orders to the squad. He picked up the cousin and flew away with him, leaving Hiei and the others out in the woods on their own. None of them were quite sure what to do next.

Hiei looked around at the men there. Two others were on the ground, writhing from their own wounds from the doxies.

Hiei stepped over to the injured ones and picked them up; one on each shoulder. To the other men, he told them, "Osamu, take the lead. Get everyone else back to the castle. Be quick, but be safe about it."

Hiei ran with the two injured on his shoulders, making his way back to the castle. Disappointingly, both died in route. He set the dead down on the ground in the entry way of the castle carefully. He heard the large demon shouting in the front of the castle. He stumbled to his feet and ran back up to the castle.

"Will it work?" Hiei heard the large demon ask the doctor from the Spirit World. Originally he was brought to help the sprite, but was enthralled by the doxy hunt and decided to be more so a part of that too.

Hiei entered the castle, hearing the doctor say, "we'll see."

Hiei watched Nishi and the fox holding the cousin down while the doctor worked on him. Nishi stared at the cousin with intense focus, even as he threw up on her hands. Nishi yanked her hands up and away, shaking them clean. She wiped off her hands on the floor.

The doctor was not grossed out by the cousin's sickness as he cleaned his mouth out with his own finger. "Let go please, Kurama," the doctor requested calmly.

The fox did as bid. The doctor rolled the cousin onto his side. He pulled two cloths from his bag; one he uses to clean the cousin's wounds and the other he tossed to Nishi to clean her hands off better. He started to treat his wounds.

Hiei heard and then saw the rest of the squad return, having been led by the team leader. The team leader came to stand next to Hiei as the cousin threw up on the floor a second time. After that, he started to shake violently. The doctor turned to his injured chest, trying to treat it better.

The large demon was pacing back and forth near the doctor and the fox. "Is this because of your medicine?" he asked the doctor shortly.

The doctor kept his eyes on the cousin while answering, "it might be. It's never been tested on anyone before. It's also a symptom of the poison."

The large demon did not like that idea at all. He roared at the doctor, "never been tested?! And you used it on Jiro?"

The doctor called back over his shoulder, "would you prefer I didn't try?"

The large demon barked down, "save him."

"I'm trying," the doctor sighed. "Come on, please work." The cousin shivered and groaned on the ground. "Does he have a mate?" the doctor asked the room.

The large demon shook his head. "No, none of the men with me do."

Hiei's eyes stayed trained on the dying cousin. It looked like such a slow and horrible death. The idea to knowing that he had been poisoned, was going to die, and there was nothing this doctor or anyone else in the room could do about it...

The fox broke his concentration when he said, "Nanashi, are you ok?"

Hiei looked back over at Nishi. She was looking down at the cousin, staring intently, sweating, and breathing heavily. The cousin lay beneath her, breathing regularly for one second but then struggling to breath the next second.

The large demon rounded towards the fox, "what's wrong with her?"

Hiei watched Nishi's carefully, figuring out what she was doing. She was fighting to keep the cousin breathing. She knelt on her knees right next to the cousin, staying down hard at him. Maybe if she kept him breathing long enough, the doctor's medicine could save him too. "She's keeping him breathing," Hiei explained breathily. She was trying very hard to save the cousin from an inexplicable death. A death he knew was coming.

The doctor was surprised himself. "You can do that? Keep going. It may keep him alive long enough for the antidote to work."

"If it does work," the large demon grumbled.

Nishi groaned sickeningly. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to her left side, almost gracefully. Hiei moved to run over to her, unsure how well she would like that when he reached her. The cousin died within seconds after she fell.

"Damn it!" the large demon yelled. Hiei stopped dead in his tracks. Nishi rolled her head on the ground, looking up at the large demon. He shouted at her, "you couldn't keep going!"

The large demon shoved past Hiei and the other squad members who had arrived in his rage. He went outside, running who knows where.

Hiei turned back to see Nishi pushing her upper body up from the ground. She looked down at the now dead cousin. "Is he.. dead?" she choked out.

The doctor nodded. Nishi jumped, scooting back away from the dead cousin. "How did you do that?" he asked her.

"I'm a human wind mage," she groaned out. Her hand came to the side of her head.

The doctor kept talking to her, " I knew about that. But I hadn't known about the control of breathing."

The fox added in, "she can stop it too."

While the doctor seemed intrigued with Nishi, the team leader and the healer stepped over to the dead body of the cousin. Together they picked it up. Four other members picked up the other two dead and carried them all outside.

The doctor turned his gaze to the squad carrying the dead and asked, "where are they going?"

The fox gave a short sigh. "They're going to burn the bodies at sunset. Then scatter the remaining ashes so the Great Hawk Spirit can guide them into the dreams of their loved ones. Then she'll take them to the Spirit World." The stranger had been very open mouthed when he was with the fox.

The doctor snorted distastefully. Nishi scowled at him. "It's true. I've seen it." She turned over to the fox, the two of them meeting each other's eyes. "I think we're going to need some more help," she thought out loud.

Hiei wondered what she meant, but he figured she would explain herself in due time. Right now he had a more pressing issue to deal with; the large demon.

Hiei left the castle, sensing and then tracking down the large demon in the woods. The large demon was striking trees left and right. He turned them into splinters without thinking. Hiei watched him until he wore himself down doing so.

The large demon slumped down on the ground and wept. "Nanashi's not going to like all those trees being destroyed," Hiei told him slightly sarcastically.

The large demon just looked so... pathetic. "Leave me alone," was all he could peter out.

Hiei was not about to let it drop. "You know what else Nanashi's not going to like, that someone is training doxies to kill you." The large demon pulled his hands away from his face, calming down. "That he looks like you. That after he kills you, he will go after your squad, after everyone else in the castle, and after the rest of your clan."

The large demon wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. Hiei had known from the mate that the large demon was prone to being overly emotional and she would have to calm him down before his rage consumed him. "How do you know his plan?" the large demon choked out. He had just admitted he knew who was behind the plan without being asked.

"Who is he?" Hiei asked harshly.

The large demon turned his head away, "I don't know."

"Liar," Hiei accused. "You know who he is because you just asked me what his was."

The large demon shook his head, raising to his feet. "I meant how do you know what the doxies are planning?"

Hiei growled. "I read one of the doxy's minds. Now who is he?"

"I don't know!" the large demon shouted at him. "So quit asking me that!" He was running unchecked on his emotions.

Hiei tore off his head band, ready to escalate this to get his answer. He pushed his way inside of the large demon's mind as aggressively as possible. The large demon roared and fell to his knees. His hands covered his face as he groan. Hiei stayed in his mind until he saw everything; got every answer he sought.

The doxy trainer was the large demon's cousin, the older brother of the cousin. His name was Ichiro. He grew up with the large demon. He had a talent for working with demon animals, but was disturbingly abusive to them for his own entertainment. He was given assistance to curb his psychopathic tendencies and grew up alongside the large demon relatively normally. He was also gay and had been caught by both the large demon and the large demon's father for abusing his lover. He was exiled by the father-son duo for taking the wrong gender for a lover. It got worse. The large demon, the mate, and his council all knew after the attack the doxy trainer was responsible for the well poisoning at the clan. The large demon led the hunt for the doxies and the doxy trainer, but the rest of the squad was in the dark. All they knew, all Nishi also knew, was they were hunting rogue and stronger than usual doxies.

Hiei pulled out of the large demon's mind. The large demon was panting, face still wet with tears. He put his headband back on. "You knew this was your oldest cousin's work the whole time, and you kept it silent. From me. From Nishi. From your men."

"I want those doxies dead," the large demon growled. "Every single one of them. And when they're dead, he can, he can be-"

"He can go find some other animal to tame to use to come after you?" Hiei cut. "According to your mind, he's been exiled for years. He was mad as a child. After you exiled him, can you even be surprised he's come back from the past and attacked you and your clan like this."

The large demon shook his head. "Ichiro was better when he grew older. He wasn't mad. Once he's away from those doxies, they won't be able to influence him."

The large demon was almost unbelievable. He still cared so much for his cousin that he was blinded to what he had done. "The doxy whose mind I read saw him as her pack leader. He tamed them. He's using them to kill. He's influencing them. They aren't influencing him."

The large demon shook his head again. "If we kill the doxies, then I'll take it from there. I'll figure out what to do with him." He took a steadying breath. "I won't have him killed." He was grasping at straws.

Hiei retorted, "he's the reason three of your men are dead today. One of which was his younger brother. You let him live in the end of this, those three will have died in vain. Who else is going to die because you want to protect the man who wants to kill you before everyone else?"

The large demon growled deeply from his chest. "I'm in charge of this mission, so what I say goes. The doxies die and he lives. That's how this is going to end!"

Hiei studied the large demon carefully. "So when are you going to tell your men and Nishi that decision?"

The large demon stood up straighter and paled. "You can't tell them," he said with a shake of his head.

"Why not?" Hiei questioned.

"They're cowards. Half of them are useless. They'll be completely useless if they find out Ichiro is behind this," the large demon reasoned.

"What about Nishi?" Hiei asked, itching to warn her, even now.

"You can't," the large demon hissed. "She'll ruin everything! She'll tell the other men!"

"She needs to know at least," Hiei reached for a compromise. The large demon was right about his squad being such cowards, except for the healer probably. Nishi however was not a coward. She needed to know what was happening.

"No!" the large demon shouted. "She doesn't need to know, she doesn't get to know, and if you tell her, I will make sure she never lets you back into the castle after this."

Hiei felt ready to boil over in his own rage over this based on that threat. "Coward," he spat out the insult in the face of the large demon.

He turned away from the idiot that was the large demon and went back to the castle. Outside of the castle, he saw Nishi setting with one of the men on the steps. This one was a coward among cowards and was weeping openly while she held him. He did not like the sight of her touching another man so openly, but the way the coward cried made it borderline acceptable. The healer was sitting nearby Nishi and the coward with the sprite. The healer had better emotional control than the coward. He just laid his head on the sprite's shoulder, staring and watching the two other men in the middle of the yard setting up funeral pyres. Three pyres for the three dead. The three dead lay on the ground nearby with sheets covering their whole bodies.

Hiei made a bee line for Nishi. Over the crying of the coward, he told her urgently, "I need to speak to you." She looked up at him in surprise. "Right now. Alone."

She looked down at the coward she was holding. She looked back up at Hiei and shook her head. "No," she said a little too harshly. "Not now," she added a little bit softer. She resumed her focus on the coward. He was half tempted to wretch the coward from her, drag her into the castle, and make her listen to him.

"Fine," he grunted down at her as he moved to go back into the castle.

He stopped when heard a loud, echo-y clang of wood. He turned around, heard one of the men working on the pyre swore. He walked over to them and took charge of the building. The work was finished by the time the large demon came over. The large demon seemed short tempered, but calm down enough.

Nishi had excused herself for twenty minutes and came back just in time for the funeral to start. Minus the twins and one nanny, everyone else in the castle came out soon after her.

The large demon took charge of the situation when everyone was there. He took a torch in hand, said some respectful and pious words, and was finished. He lit each pyre one at a time. He then stepped over to his men, handing a sheathed knife he had stuffed in his pocket to the team leader first. The team leader took the knife and stepped over to the closest pyre. He cut a small lock off of his hair. He repeated the two more times for the other two pyres. After that, the other squad members followed suit. Hiei watched the coward struggle to cut his super short hair, but he got there. The large demon went last.

The large demon backed backed away from the pyres. He half threw his head back and called over his shoulder, "you can all go inside now." He ran his hands over his face and threw his loose hair. No one dared to move. He began shaking. "Now!" he growled. The squad had gone back into the castle in a rush. The sprite followed after the healer. Hiei made a mental note to ask about that later. "I said now," the large demon croaked.

Everyone bar himself, Nishi, and the fox went back into the castle. Nishi stood too near the fox. The fox just breathed a heavy sigh, shook his head slightly, and stepped back into the castle. Nishi watched him go hesitantly.

The large demon was on the verge of breaking down once more. "Leave," he ordered pitifully. Hiei knew it was an order only for him, but Nishi did not. She turned around. Before she could even take a step, the large demon mewed, "not you."

Nishi froze and turned back to look over at Hiei questioningly. She was looking for him to tell her what to do.

"Hiei, leave," the large demon shuttered out.

While he did not like the idea of leaving the large demon alone with Nishi, he took off into the wood line. He stayed there at the cusp, taking his head band off and watched and listened in on their conversation. He entered Nishi's mind and used it as a bridge to enter the large demon's mind while he listened in on their conversation.

The large demon let loose of his emotions, allowing himself to openly grieve for his cousin and the other two dead men. Nishi was uncomfortable, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She watched the pyres somberly.

Hiei spoke to her mentally, 'dont make him any more promises. I'll know if you do.' The last thing they needed is the large demon taking advantage of her once more.

'I won't,' she promised him, a bit annoyed with his tone. To the large demon, she hesitantly said his name, "Hayate?" She steeled herself to sit down next to him.

He looked over at her. He was wondering what she thought of him behaving like this. He was self conscious about how openly he was grieving. He took a shaky breath, commenting, "bet you've never seen a fighter cry before."

She just felt so uncomfortable, almost wanting to cringe away from him. Instead, she tentatively place her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "I've lived with my cousin Yusuke long enough to see him do it. And I bet he's stronger than you," she said with a poor joke. "Once when his video game broke."

The large demon was not quite sure what she meant by 'video game.' The large demon looked over to the three burning pyres. He thought out loud, "were you there when Yasha was burned?" He glanced back down at her. She shook her head as she recalled Yukina telling her how she was a part of that. "I should have been there. Belief systems aside," he added regrettably.

"I'm sorry," Nishi blurted out. "About the others. About not being able to stop Jiro from dying." None of this was her fault, so why should she apologize?

The large demon took up speaking again, "I'm sorry I yelled at you for it." She listened to him carefully. "You couldn't stop it." The large demon cringed at the thought of what a horrible death that would be. To know you have only a handful of minutes before the doxy poison took its toll... "Jiro was a coward, but he was also my cousin. If my son were to die, he would have been my heir. I shouldn't have brought him with us. But he needed to prove himself to be brave. It wasn't worth the risk..."

The cousin wanted to prove he was brave to the beauty. Apparently he was infatuated with her, but she shrugged him as not strong enough for her. The cousin went on this mission to prove while he might be brave enough for her. At least that was what he had told the large demon.

Nishi shifted on the steps to sit more comfortably. "Was he your only cousin?" she asked sheepishly.

The large demon paused, took his hand from his face, and looked down at her for just a second. with a question like that, he wondered if Hiei had told her anything. 'I haven't had the chance,' he thought to the large demon in a half threat.

'If I promise her safety in the mission, will you keep it silent about Ichiro?' the large demon asked mentally. When Hiei did not respond right away, the large demon added, 'if you go after Minha, I won't go after her.'

Hiei thought it over. 'If she never finds the doxies scouting, then deal.'

The large demon pulled his knees closer to his chest. "No," he began lying. "At least, I'm not sure anymore. Jiro had an older brother who I exiled a few years back."

Nishi mumbled rudely, "I think I can guess what he did to be exiled..."

The large demon let out a small growl from his chest. "His lover repented and took a woman for a mate. Ichiro refused and was swiftly exiled."

"Is he still alive?"

The large demon decided to lie to her, which made Hiei seethe. Maybe he should tell her after all. "I don't know. Probably not. Jiro wasn't much of a fighter. Too scrawny. But Ichiro... he was a mix of a strong, clever, and arrogant." He thought over a quick memory of a time he and the doxy trainer were young. They had sparred together. The large demon was just slightly stronger. He still missed him. "I can't lose any more people," he thought out loud as he looked over at the burning pyres.

Nishi tried to be hopeful. "Maybe we won't. Maybe we'll find the doxies soon, kill them all, and be done. No more casualties." The large demon liked her optimism and confidence. It remind him and made him miss the mate. "I called a human friend. He says he can help us starting at the end of the week."

Hiei had not heard about her inviting someone else. He checked her mind, seeing it was the oaf she had invited, not the detective. At a quick search why, he saw that they had fought after the demon king tournament. The oaf was better than nothing.

"How hopeful," the large demon huffed. He liked that confidence, even though it was disagreeable. He was starting to see more of what charmed Hiei to her. "I wish you were right. Another immune human and magically we'll win..." He started to just ramble about the doxies. Nishi struggled to fully understand what he was talking about. She jumped when the large demon picked up a rock and threw it in annoyance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the knife the men had used earlier to cut locks of their hair to throw in the fire. He handed her the knife with a "here." Nishi took the knife and studied the carvings on it carefully. He explained, "it was Jiro's, but I want you to have it. You can't yet conjure a weapon while flying. I would like for you to be armed starting tomorrow." He was determined to keep her safer by giving her this weapon. If she was flying and a doxy came after her, she could defend herself with the knife.

Nishi did not feel like hunting tomorrow. She doubted anyone, including the large demon, was up for it either. "Maybe we should all rest tomorrow. Let ourselves grieve and the pick up and finish the hunt.

The large demon shook his head. That was something he wanted, but it would give the doxy trainer and the doxies a window to flee or worse, attack some part of the castle, like the wells or the gardens. "No. I want to say yes, but no, I can't let that happen. The doxies could disappear. It seems like they're enjoying the fact that we are hunting them and it's keeping them close too. I'm worried if we rest they will get bored and disappear." He let loose a growl. "I just want them dead!"

Nishi sighed, wondering why he was so stubborn. "Why did you want me to stay with you anyway? Instead of your men or Hiei?"

He looked down at her and straightened out his legs. He could not help but think she was a strong, slim thing. He gave a laugh. "You kind of remind me of my mate."

"If you're going to insult me, I can leave," she half threatened, half joked.

The large demon looked down at her a little too long. He thought about how much he missed the mate. Yet being around Nishi lessened his pining for the mate the same way it had lessened Hiei's pining for her. "It's not the bitchiness I'm talking about. Or the alpha female attitude. It's the idea of you being a mated woman, even if you're not mine."

"I don't understand what you mean," she murmured.

"Never mind..." he breathed. He then thought something highly inappropriate. He looked down at Nishi, pondering just how easy it would be to pull her onto his lap.

'Don't touch her!' Hiei shouted at him mentally.

'I wouldn't do it,' he thought back. To Nishi, he kept speaking, "I'm just so lonely without her sometimes... I get an ache in my chest when we are too far apart. It's getting really annoying, especially now. I'm just so far... How do you feel when your mate is too far away?"

"I..." she stuttered. Mentally she admitted that she did miss him, but never experienced any pain or aches from it. "I don't know. I don't really notice. I sometimes notice when he returns. Not all the time though."

The large demon began rambling again at her, this time about the mate, about his son, about his father. Talking with her made he feel better. He got the feeling that while she might not understand everything he was saying, she was still listening.

At the end of his little monologue, Nishi commented, "that paints a different picture of her."

"She's not an easy woman to love, but I love her. Enough to kill you if your mate does kill her." That warning was both for her and for Hiei. "Or even attempts to kill her for that matter. And that would be a shame since I've grown rather fond of you."

"Then don't," she retorted. "Just drop feud and let it go."

"It's Demon World politics. You wouldn't understand," the large demon murmured. He looked her over, feeling his earlier desire for her dissipate and his pinning for his mate lessened.

He rose up from sitting, offering her his hand. She took it wearily. He hoisted her up. She had the cousin's knife in her other hand. He took it from her. She jumped a bit when he put it and its sheath tucked into her belt.

He straightened up, saying, "don't forget that when we are hunting. No matter what."

"Hmmm, okay," she promised.

Together, the two of them just walked back into the castle. A heavy silence settled around the woods and around Hiei. He tried to sense anything or any else out there with him. After what felt like hours, he still got no sense of the doxies or the doxy trainer. Frustrated at being unable to find anyone or anything, he gave up and went back into the castle.

He headed towards his and the large demon's room at first, but then changed his mind, finding the idea of spending the night in the same room with him undesirable.

He took a risk, telling himself to be cautious. He went to his and Nishi's room, not bothering to knock as it was so late. She would be sleeping, so he did not want to wake her. Being near her when she was sleeping would be just fine.

Hiei stepped into the bedroom and froze. Nishi was sitting up in the bed, still awake, and reading. She set the book she had been reading down on her nightstand with a thump.

"Bad plot twist?" he called over to her. She hated those when she read them. She would complain about what the author was doing rather than what the characters were doing.

She had not realized he was in the room until he spoke. "What are you doing in here?" She frowned at him nervously.

"Hn," he grunted. "Want to tell me which human you invited to help us?" Before he tried to stay in the room with her, he realized he needed to be sure lying was behind her.

"Kuwabara. Didn't read my mind to find it?" she asked, squirming slightly.

He admitted, "I was close enough to listen in to you and Hayate that I didn't bother." He cocked his head slightly. "Not Yusuke?" He already knew the answer.

She looked down at the bed and bit her lip. "He and I had a fight..."

"Oh, that's right," he thought aloud.

"What do you want?" she asked tiredly.

"To avoid Hayate's misery," he responded. That and his annoyance with him thinking about touching her intimately.

She pouted. "And there's no where else to go-" she started, but stopped. Guiltily, she restarted, "is this where you wanted to go then?"

He shrugged, trying not to seem too desperate.

She sat in silence, head hung low. After taking a deep breath, she said in a small voice, "if you decide to stay here, don't try anything."

She turned away from him. She settled herself back down on the bed, curled on her side at the very edge of the bed. Hiei got himself ready for bed quickly, before she could change her mind. At a last second, when he was undressed, he stayed undressed. She had done that to him when he and the large demon had woken her up the first day of her doxy hunting. He could do it too.

When he finally climbed into the bed, he could tell she was still awake and trying to keep her distance from him, but staying in the bed. "Don't try anything," she said sleepily.

He lay on his back on his side of the bed. It felt like muscle memory, laying on this part of the bed. He thought about turning to her and telling her about the doxy trainer, but he noticed she had fallen asleep. He fell asleep soon after, keeping his distance from her.

In his sleep, he had a nightmare; this time that he was surrounded by hundreds of doxies. Each time he cut one down with a sword stroke, another one took its place. He was fighting hard, trying not to let them bite or scratch him. Eventually one managed to bite his right shoulder. After that, all the doxies just stopped attacking him and just watched and waited for the biter's poison to slowly kill him.

He woke up with a slight jump. He turned to his left side and saw Nishi had in half sleep rolled over to him. She did not open her eyes, but murmured in her sleep. She laid her head down on his left shoulder, placed a hand on his chest, and fell back asleep before she could draw another breath. He very slowly and carefully snaked his left arm around her. He brought his right hand up and brushed the hair from her face. She was asleep and stayed asleep as he told her everything he knew about the doxy trainer; knowing that she would not remember any of it when she woke up.


	115. Chapter 115

A knock came on his door as a soft voice called his name from beyond the door, "Kurama?"

It was late. Kurama rose up from his bed and went to the door of his room. He opened the door to see Midori standing there nervously. "Yes?" he asked her.

"Um..." she began as she stepped into his room unbidden. She launched into a lengthy explanation about how she had been spending time with one of the Hayato men, Kouki, their healer, in particular. How she liked him and how kind and curious he had been. How she had told him everything that had happened with her earlier tonight, even though she knew he was grieving for his dead comrades. And after everything she said, he had kissed her. In response, she ran off to Kurama's room.

"... and I don't want to be hurt again, make another mistake," she tapered off. "You said that if I chose one of them, you would question them to make sure they were safe. Can you question him...?" she asked almost pleadingly.

He watched her curiously. He had told her, "If you are certain, ask me again tomorrow. Sleep on it now."

"Okay," she agreed easily, stepping outside of the room.

She was back again the moment the sun rose, waking him up. She asked him again to question Kouki and see what his motivations were.

Kurama got himself ready for the morning quickly and was down by the entrance to the great hall before any the Hayato clansmen were. He stayed at the door, ready to catch Kouki before he went in.

Hiei and Nanashi came past first. It was interesting to see the two of them walking together. Hayate's plan must have been working after all. At least that homophobe could do something right.

"Kurama, good morning," Nanashi greeted him tiredly.

"Good morning," he replied. To Hiei, he just gave him a look that said they should talk. To Nanashi, he said, "I need to speak with Hiei alone please."

"Oh, okay," she said softly. She side stepped around the two of them, saying a soft "see you in there."

Once the two of them were alone, Kurama explained quietly, "Midori seems to have chosen Kouki. She asked me cross check him to see if his motives are pure."

"Well, if she was going to pick one of them, he would be best choice. Not that strong, but definitely compassionate," Hiei commented.

As if he knew they were talking about him, Kouki trudged tiredly around the corner. He short braid was already unraveling. His hair was still a little too short to braid, but he could not be faulted with trying. He stopped mid step when he realized they were watching intently.

"Best to get this over with," Hiei muttered. "You ask, I'll read," he told Kurama.

Kurama walked away from the great hall's door and over to Kouki. Hiei followed right after him. "Come with us, please."

Kouki's eyes went wide in nervousness, but he nodded, following the two of them. Kurama led them the closest, currently unoccupied room; the library.

"Sit down," Kurama told Kouki while Hiei shut the door behind them.

Kouki's eyes went wide, but he sat down on the couch by the fireplace. Kurama stood in front of him, watching him with his hands behind his back. Kouki looked up at him nervously. He turned back to look where Hiei had been. Hiei had stepped out of the room, locking it behind him. From the look on Kouki's face, it was clear he heard the sound of the lock clicking.

Kouki turned back to Kurama. "Why am I sitting here?" he asked. "Where did his lordship go?"

Kurama was waiting for Hiei to tell him to start mentally. 'I'm in his mind. You can start questioning him. If he lies, we'll know.'

"I just have a few questions for you..." Kurama began. Kouki answered each question put to him, squirming over a few, uncomfortable questions. When he was finished, he let him leave the room and go back down to the great hall by himself.

Kouki left quickly, nearly running past Hiei in the hallway as he left. Kurama stepped out into the hallway shortly after.

"He was honest," was all Hiei said. "If she wants him, let her pursue him." He gave the fox a side long glance, asking, "why are you so set to follow through on Yasha's plot for Midori? You hardly knew her before you took it on. You could have told him no."

"He blames himself for what happened to her," Kurama argued. "It's the least he could do for her in his eyes. One last good deed to tip the scales when his judgement comes."

"He fancied himself in love with you," Hiei dead panned. "At the very least, he was infatuated."

Kurama closed his eyes, remembering having a very similar conversation more than once with Midori. He opened his eyes. "I know."

"You didn't feel the same way," Hiei observed.

"Imagine it like this," Kurama began. "That day when Yomi kidnapped Nanashi, imagine he killed her instead of just locking her up unharmed for me to come fetch her. The way you felt about her then is akin to the way I felt about Yasha when he died."

"Hn," was all Hiei responded in understanding.

Kurama asked his own curious question in turn. "Have you figured out what to do about the speck of Mukuro's soul in Nanashi's soul yet?"

Hiei shook his head. "There hasn't been time with the doxy hunting. There has to be a book somewhere in the library that might cover it. So long as it wasn't one of the books Mukuro destroyed."

Kurama mused thoughtfully, "if she loses control, she could flashback into one of Mukuro's memories that was attached to her soul piece. You need to be sure that doesn't happen."

"I know," he said shortly.

"If it does, do whatever it takes to keep her out of the flashback and in the present," Kurama counseled. "Flashbacks tend to be unpleasant memories. Of which, Mukuro had more than her fair share."

"I know."


	116. Chapter 116

The large demon clearly had not slept well the previous night. He was quiet and sulky at breakfast and when the now smaller squad met up at the front of the castle. They looked worn down as well.

Nishi was standing closer to Hiei rather than her team leader like she should have been. She had seemed annoyed yet not annoyed when she had woken up cuddling next to him. He let her do as she pleased.

The large demon started to break down the plan for hunting, a plan they all knew nearly by heart, but he kept stumbling over it. He kept getting more and more frustrated with himself when he either corrected himself or Nishi or someone else corrected him. Nishi's corrections seeed the least annoying of all to the large demon.

When it came to naming the scout for the day, the large demon started, "I will scout today, ugh..." he brought his hand to his face and it up into his bangs that hung loose around his face. He looked over everyone around him. His eyes lingered on Nishi standing right next to Hiei. He then looked at Hiei, saying, "I don't think I can scout today..." He looked down at the map in front of him. "Hiei," he preempted as he pointed down to an area of the map close to where they had hunted yesterday, "you'll have to scout today. And from today on, we double the range we scout before coming back to the squad. Hiei, start in this grid square and move west-"

"Why is he scouting two days in a row?" Nishi interrupted. "He scouted last time and needs to rest from it today. It takes more effort to scout than to lay on the ground or move for ten minutes. If you can't scout today, then I should. I supposed to scout tomorrow anyway, so we can just switch."

Her concern was unnecessary. Hiei thought he could scout again if he had to.

The large demon growled at her, "no."

"Why not?" she countered, frowning.

"Because I'm in charge, you're not," he said shortly. That comment was just asking for her to get short with him.

"Then you should make better calls then," she snapped.

The large demon rose to his feet, towering over everyone else. "I am. I'm not in the right mindset to scout, but he is."

Nishi stood up in turn. The cousin's knife sheathed at her hip gave off a clack against her outer thigh. "So am I." She stared him down, not afraid to stand up to him.

"A word," he said to her with a cock of his head to the right. He walked away from the squad with a flustered Nishi following after him. Hiei fell in line next to her, not feeling comfortable about the two of them being alone together in the mood they were in.

The large demon stopped and rounded on Nishi. He went to speak, but stopped when he saw Hiei. "We don't have the luxury of time for you to question my orders."

"Then don't make unfair changes," she said, not backing down.

The two of them look ready to descend into an argument. "I'll scout today," Hiei told them both, ending the fight before it really started. The large demon was short tempered on a good day and if too worked up, Nishi could lose control because of Mukuro's soul piece. Nishi looked over at him pityingly. "It's fine. Just let her scout tomorrow." She looked a little bit disappointed to hear he was scouting today.

The large demon grunted. "Very well." He stepped away from them and back to the squad. Nishi's gloomy form followed after him. Hiei came right after her.

Hiei scouted that day, with Nishi scouting the next. The double ranged scouting was wearing her out, but she would not admit it. The large demon was mentally fit enough to scout the next day as well. On the whole, neither of them found any doxies, especially Nishi, who the large demon purposefully misdirected when she scouted so she would not find the doxies or the doxy trainer on her own.

Four days later, things took a turn for the unexpected. As the squad, minus Nishi, were milling outside of the castle, ready to go hunting once more. Someone or something had set off the perimeter alarm, putting them all on alert. Would the doxy trainer be so bold to come after them at the castle? Nishi came out of the castle and stood next to Hiei. Her wind dragon was down in her right hand in ax form.

A familiar voice came from the edge of the woods, "are you sure this is the right way?" Hiei figured out immediately that the voice belong to the detective. Nishi had invited the oaf, not him, so what was he doing here?

The oaf's grainy voice answered immediately. "I told you Urameshi! It's this way. I'm the one who has been here before, remember?"

The detective asked then, "yeah, then why did we get lost twice?" The two of them emerged from the woods and stopped short when they saw the squad. The large demon himself growled deeply from his chest. "Hey, what's all this?" the detective asked, hands up at the sight of all of them.

Nishi let loose a surprised cackle at the sight of them. She sent away her wind dragon with a flick of her wrist.

The large demon and the others looked unamused. To Nishi, he asked quietly, "how many humans did you invite?"

She looked over at him, "uh, one."

"Which one?" the large demon asked for clarification.

"Uh, the taller one," Nishi responded. "The one that doesn't look like me."

"The ugly one," Hiei added.

The oaf must have heard him, because he shouted, "hey! Shut it shorty."

The large demon had not relaxed, even for a second. "Just the tall one?" he checked with Nishi. She nodded up at him. "In that case..."

What happened next, happened fast. The large demon sheathed his sword and then charged straight at the oaf and the detective. The detective froze while the oaf jumped out of the way.

"What the hell!" the detective shouted just before the demon punched him across the jaw. The detective had been caught off guard. He fell onto the ground. Before he could get up, the large demon had him pinned to the ground. He pulled a span of rope out his pocket, tying the detective's hands behind his back. All the while, the detective was shouting, "what is your problem? Get off of me!"

The large demon stood up, hoisting the detective to his feet by his bound hands. He brought his sword under the detective's neck. Over to Hiei, he called, "what do you want done with the intruder?"

Nishi was in a panic herself. She shouted at the large demon, "don't hurt him! Let him go!" The large demon did not move an inch. No one else seemed to move either, not even the detective. The large demon would kill him in an instant if he thought he was a threat. The large demon waited for orders from Hiei. Nishi picked up on that fact. She turned and shouted at Hiei, "Hiei! Call him off. Please."

Hiei looked over at the detective. Nishi had said she had not invited him, so why was he here? He could not help but remember it was because of the detective that he was disqualified from the second demon king tournament. He felt a renewed fury burning up.

"What are you doing here?" Hiei called over to the detective.

The large demon pulled his sword off of the detective's neck enough for him to answer, "Kuwabara said Nanashi needed help with some pixies-"

"Doxies," the large demon corrected.

The detective glanced back to where the large demon's voice was coming from. "Dude, untie me. I've got a fiance. I'm not into this. Anyway, I'm here to help as well."

The oaf had stood up, saying, "she sounded pretty desperate on the phone. She said she was going to call him too."

Hiei turned a harsh gaze on her after hearing that. She had not said anything about inviting or planning to invite the detective; only the oaf. She was already misleading him on this again.

She looked mousy as she shook her head. "I had said I hadn't called Yusuke yet. I didn't say I was going to." She turned back to the large demon. "Let him go, please."

"That would explain why you never called," the detective commented, reinforcing her words as truth. "So call off guard dog Barbie over her before I kick his ass."

The large demon laughed at him. "Ha. I'd love to see you try."

Nishi began to beg the large demon, "Hayate, please. Just because I didn't invite him doesn't mean he isn't welcome."

Nishi may have been okay with him showing up, but Hiei was not. He had another thing coming. "Hn, speak for yourself," Hiei commented. He started walking over to the large demon and detective, saying, "if I recall correctly, you cost me the demon king tournament. When you attacked me outside of the tournament." He stood in front of the two of them, itching for the fight he wanted. "Let him go and untie him," he told the large demon.

The large demon took his sword from the detective's neck. Then he used his sword to cut his hands free. The detective had better be ready for the fight coming his way.

The large demon backed away from the them. The detective tried to go after him, but Hiei cut him off, punching him in the face. The detective turned back to him, throwing his own punch right at him. The fight between the two of them commenced.

Hiei heard Nishi shout at them, but they kept fighting anyway for who knew how long. Once his anger at the detective for costing him the demon king tournament burned off, the fighting turned from an emotional release of anger to just plain fun. The detective picked up on the change and fought without holding back.

Once both of them were exhausted, the detective plumped himself down on the ground and started laughing hysterically. Hiei had no idea what was so funny to the detective, but he also sunk to the ground and laughed at the stupidity of the moment.

"If you two are finished, we still have hunting to do," the large demon called over to them. Impatience must have gotten the better of him.

Hiei looked up at the sound of the large demon's voice. "Calm down Barbie," the detective shouted back. He stood up, reached his hand down to Hiei, and hauled him up to his feet as well.

Hiei looked over to the onlookers by the castle's steps. Nishi rose up from her seat next to the oaf and ran over to them. She ran not for Hiei, but the detective. She did not slow down and hit the detective at full speed. She hugged him and took both of them down to the ground, laughing as she fell. He watched tersely as she had never done that for him.

"Can people please stop knocking me down!" the detective grumbled.

"I'm sorry," she mewed as she sat up a hair's breath away from the detective.

"Huh? What did you say?" the detective asked her as he sat up next to her.

Nishi brought her hand up to her face and cast her gaze down to the ground. "I overreacted. After the tournament. I'm sorry." He just got here and she was already apologetic when it came to him.

The detective brought his hand up and tousled her hair affectionately. Nishi raised her hand up and pushed the detective's hand out of the way.

"I could have told you that," the detective teased. She frowned at him, punching him in the shoulder without any power behind the punch. "Don't tell me I have to fight you too now."

She gave a soft laugh and threw her arms around him a second time. Of course with him she was openly affectionate. The detective used that moment to roll her on the ground with him on top of her. He raised his upper body over hers and started to tickle her on her sides. Nishi kicked at him with no force and managed to roll over to her side. The detective kept tickling her, focusing now on the back of her knees. She laughed and tried to scramble away. While watching, Hiei felt jealous at how easily the detective touched her and how easily he could make her laugh.

"Stop, stop...You win... you win... I surrender..." she laughed.

"Would you stop already!" the large demon boomed from where he was standing. The detective stopped abruptly and the three of them stared over at the fuming large demon. "We still have a mission to accomplish." The large demon pointed directly at the detective. "And if you're not going to help us, then quit wasting our time!"

The detective stood up, hauling Nishi to her feet with him. She stood between both Hiei and the detective. Hiei looked over to the large demon, seeing, but not hearing the fox talk to him quietly. When the fox touched his arm, the large demon recoiled rudely. Neither man much liked the other, but tolerated the other for Hiei's and Nishi's sake.

The large demon growled, "have your reunion. You lot," he said to his men, "take this day for an extra rest day. Those three wasted enough time as it is." The large demon stormed off by himself into the castle.

The detective pushed Nishi in front of him and towards the castle. He walked in step with towards the castle with Hiei following behind them, not liking how closely they walked next to each other.

When the detective reached the fox and oaf, he asked the fox, "what did you say that both pissed him off and gave everyone the day off?"

"Just that while the five of us meet up, he should let his men and himself rest," the fox stated with just a hint of testiness in his voice.

"A meeting huh?" the detective commented. "Alright, let's go meet. I want to hear this story." He nodded between Nishi and Hiei. Nishi seemed to shrink a little when he said that.

Once in the castle, Nishi had to lead the way to the presence chamber with the other four falling in step with her. When they got to the room, Nishi stood near the fox.

Once the door was shut, the detective started asking questions without further ado. "So what the hell is blondie's problem?" After mostly Nishi, with help from Hiei, explained the whole of what she knew about the doxy situation, the detective responded, "Seriously? How long have you guys been hunting? And you've only killed four of them?"

"Five actually," Nishi corrected. "They're a lot harder to find than we all thought. I haven't actually seen one in person yet: dead or alive."

The detective took a cocky stance. "You know what the problem is? You guys are running around in the woods in way too organized a manner. You should all just go into the woods guns blazing, and find them that way. Scare them out."

That was such a foolish idea. They would lose control or tactical advantage if they tried that. "That makes no sense," Nishi pointed out.

The detective pointed out, "well, playing soldiers isn't working."

Nishi rolled her eyes, asking, "are you going to help us too or not?"

The detective crossed his arms and looked from her to Hiei and back again to her. "I dunno. Why didn't you call and ask?"

She brought her hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Because I was still mad at you," she said without looking at him. "And thought you were still mad at me as well."

The detective shrugged. "Not necessarily. I figured I just caught you off guard when you were pissed off."

Nishi gave a fake sounding laugh. "Damn right. So will you help us as well?"

He gave a second shrug. "Sure, why not? I'm already here." Nishi smiled over at him. She stepped over to him, threw her arms around him, and hugged him once more. Her open affection and quick forgiveness for him was enviable. "If you don't stop that I could tickle you again." He stepped away from her and ran his hand through her hair, making it messy.

"Don't you dare," she warned him with a loving, yet daring smile.

"What you gonna do? Sick guard dog on me again?" the detective challenged. He looked again back and forth between Hiei and Nishi, frowning slightly the way Nishi always would when she was puzzled.

"I can do that if necessary," she joked.

The oaf jumped in, "wait, Shiziru said we might get in trouble if we all assist with this. Since it's not spirit detective case stuff. And it's Demon World related, not Human World. Shouldn't we tell Koenma?"

The detective already had that covered. "Well, except for Kurama, if if becomes an issue, we can argue it's a family issue. Perfect card to play." To Nishi, he said, "Well, I'm your cousin, so I'm joining to help out a family member." He pointed to the oaf and then Hiei. "Kuwabara and Hiei are future brothers-in-law. If Kuwabara ever manages to finish school. So he's helping out family. Problem solved." He gave a thumbs up. Then he looked over to the fox and shrugged. "Sorry, I got no loop hole to argue for you helping here. You should figure that out yourself."

Little did the detective know that if were not for the stranger's plot for the sprite, the fox would have never let Nishi let the large demon and the squad in the castle. The fox informed him vaguely, "I'm not here to help with doxy hunting. I'm purposefully not taking a part in it either. I just happen to be here when the hunting began."

The detective simply went, "Oh. Well, that... works..." The fox nodded, ending that line of the conversation. The detective once more looked back and forth between Hiei and Nishi. He sighed. "So. What's up with you two?" He gestured between Hiei and Nishi. Hiei crossed his arms and closed his eyes, but Nishi squirmed under his gaze. "We have all day..."

Nishi groaned, "I threw him out." She was deadpanning the situation.

Hiei opened his eyes. "Over something that happened years ago," he pointed out.

She hissed at him, "that I just found out about."

The detective stepped back into the conversation. "Want to tell the audience what that was?" he pried.

Nishi took a steeling breath and spelled it out for the rest of them to hear, "Apparently during the Dark Tournament, Jin fell in love with me. But Hiei..." she closed her eyes in vexation and a little bit of embarrassment, "wanted me, so he kept Jin out of the way and got what he wanted." She reopened her eyes.

The fox knew about this, but the oaf and the detective had been in the dark.

She left out information of course. "Hn. You forgot the part where after kissing me inappropriately during training led you to want me first. I was just waiting to oblige after the tournament."

Nishi turned a livid gaze on him. "Ruka didn't have to wait."

"That was different," he rounded back. Sleeping with her was not out of desire so much as necessity.

She was getting worked up. Her face was reddening. "You knew he wasn't intending malice. You were just selfish," she accused.

This was an argument that should have been in private rather than in front of the fox, the detective, and the oaf. Too late now, considering how she started it in front of them. "And yet you you chose me, not him."

She raised her voice, "I didn't know how long he had loved me!" She was panting now. "But you did," she added tightly.

Her childish, self seeking nature was now out on display. "You knew he did before you threw yourself at me," he kept his voice normal.

She blinked rapidly. "Because I loved you, not him. But now I'm thinking he doesn't seem like the type to run from problems." She was getting too worked up for her own good, but he did not want to care.

"That you know of," he countered. "No, he just commits infidelities that could kill himself and you."

She was breathing too fast. "Well you had run off again right before it happened-" They started interrupting each other.

"Because you had lied-"

"Didn't think to read my mind-"

"Because I trusted you to tell the truth." He hated how she forgot all about that.

She snarled an unnatural snarl. "If you can't trust me then just leave again."

That was not happening again. "No," he told her defiantly. Even if her eyes flashed blue, he was not going to back down this time.

"It always seemed so easy before," she threw. She knew nothing.

She would not get to do that again. "And go where? Straight to Minha..." She knew what he had threatened to do to the mate in this whole affair.

Her eyes went wide with fright and realization. "Don't you dare."

"Why not?" he challenged.

She seemed to shrink at the thought. "Because you know if you kill her, Hayate will kill me. I've fought with him before and he had to actually hold back so not to injure me very much." She gulped down a handful of calming breaths.

He snarled at her. "Self preservation at its finest." She was being selfish beyond words.

She raised her voice again, "you're the one who threatened her fir-"

"Enough!" the detective boomed over her, shutting her up. Nishi jumped nearly out of her skin at his interruption. "Wow..." he continued. "You two could give Keiko a run for her money. I'd like to see one of you argue with her." Nishi scowled right at him. "Keiko's given me better angry faces," he mused. He looked back and forth between the two of them. "So shut up and quit fighting. You're ruining our happy reunion."

Nishi went from enraged to quiet in an instant. "En pass," she said with her mouth only half open.

Her en pass idea again. It was near stupid. An 'I'll forgive you if you forgive me and let's restart' idea. That was not going to be an excuse for a lost trust.

He shook his head. "And how long will that last? Until you change your mind?"

The detective stepped behind Hiei, smacking him in the back of the head without any force. "I said enough," he declared. Hiei looked back at him, annoyed by his childish behavior. The fox and then the oaf gave a brief and soft laugh. Nishi gave a fake laugh in the same spirit. The detective sought to break the tension by starting, "I got a serious question for you..."

Nishi's face, red from being worked up still, softened ever so slightly. "What is it?" she asked in an almost lighter tone.

"When do you plan to start aging?" the detective jokingly asked.

Nishi did not find that attempt at humor funny. At all. She drew in a loud, audible breath in shock. She looked away from the detective and laid a panicked, steel blue gaze on Hiei. She struggled and choked, unable to breath properly. An act so unlike any wind mage before her.

The detective spoke over her building panic, "what is it?" Nishi was still panicking, hardly able to breath properly. Nishi shook her head and then hung it to the ground. "Did you kill puppies or something?" the detective tried and failed to joke once more.

Nishi raised her head up just enough to send Hiei a look that he could have sworn was pleading for help. She was on the verge of tears.

The detective tried and failed to lighten the mood, "did you kill puppies?" he asked Hiei.

"Mukuro," Nishi simply whimpered. She sank to the ground, comes to rest on her knees. One hand covered her face, the other hand rested on the ground to steady her. She broke down, bursting into tears. It was heart wrenching.

"What's wrong with her?" the oaf asked.

"Nanashi, are you okay?" the detective asked uncertainly.

"Hiei," the fox said in a warning tone. Hiei looked over to him. The fox nodded down to Nishi.

Hiei had not realized he was moving until he was kneeling down next to her. He pulled her in close, hoping to both soothe and calm her down before she lost complete control of herself in front of the other three. She clung to him fervently, head coming to rest on his right shoulder. She whimpered pitifully.

The detective just kept trying to be funny. "Did cyborg mummy kill puppies?"

"Shut up," Hiei griped. Every time he opened his mouth, he made it worse.

Nishi flinched in his arms. He brought his hand to the base of her skull, stroking her hair in attempt to calm her. She would not stop shaking nor crying. She was never this bad before. She was losing control without even realizing what was happening to her. He racked his brain as to what to do to calm her down. If she did not calm down soon, she could sink into a possible flashback she inherited from Mukuro. Who knows what kind of terror a flashback memory from Mukuro would hold? Maybe if he entered her mind, he could pull her mind into the present and stay there until this panic attack passed. He could aid her in riding it out until it passed.

The fox warned, "that's not a normal panic attack..."

"No, it's not," Hiei admitted. He needed to get in her mind and stop it before it went too far. He owed her that at least. She was getting worse, not better.

"It looks like a form of mate shock. That's not possible, unless..." the fox hinted.

Hiei heard between the lines of what the fox was saying in a way that would get his point across without alarming the detective or oaf anymore than they already were. Get her out of here, go somewhere private, and keep her mind out of a flashback from Mukuro.

Hiei spoke, "I need to be alone with her now before it gets worse." This was going to be awful for her, especially if he could not keep her mind in the present. He could handle this by himself and could spar her dignity in the process. He picked her up, one arm coming under both of her knees, and the other arm coming across her upper back. She clung to him as tightly as she could.

"Yasha," she whimpered simperingly. Now why in the world would she say the stranger's name?

The detective stepped right in front of him as he went to carrying her out of the room. He blocked the door. "Wait a sec, you two were just bickering. Do you think you can just take her away after that?"

Hiei looked up at the detective in disbelief that he would stop them so abruptly. The fox intervened almost immediately. He placed a hand on the detective's shoulder, pulling him back from the doorway. "Trust him, let me explain..." the fox began.

The second the detective was out of the way, Hiei was out the door and at a dead sprint to their bedroom.

He laid her down on the bed and backed away. He pulled his head band off, ready to enter her mind and keep her mentally in the present.

She brought her hands to her face and simpered, "I should be dead."

He felt like all the blood drained from his body when she said that. He stepped over to her and lay his hand on her forehead. "Shh, don't, shh," he said vocally. He closed his eyes and entered into her mind. She was half seeing a dark, murky room. That had to be a memory from Mukuro. He had to keep her out of it. He spoke mentally to her, echoing in her mind, 'Shh... Be strong.. You're strong...'

Her mind shifted in its struggle, trying and falling to understand how Mukuro had once felt about her. How she hated her. How she liked her under orders from the stranger. How she sacrificed herself so that she might live longer because of those orders. How Nishi never wanted her to make that sacrifice in the first place.

"Why?" she bawled out. The dark room from Mukuro's memory was resurfacing.

She needed to be distracted from that immediately. He climbed into the bed and straddled her. He pulled her hand away from her face. Her eyes were still closed and she was still crying. He bent down and kissed her full on the mouth, trying to shock her so she would be forced to stay in the present.

'Let that be enough,' he thought down to her. He raised his head up, hovering over hers. He just wished she would snap out of it, raise her hand up, and slap him for that kiss. That would be an expected reaction from her with how she had been treating him earlier.

She did not. She just kept wondering, 'Why? Please. Why?' Her mind was stuck on the thought that Mukuro should have never liked her, but she did because of the stranger. She was hung up on the unfairness of the stranger's order that saved her life. 'Why did he do it?'

He bent down, kissing her again, harder and deeper than before. She yielded to him completely. Her mind went blank as he kissed her. That was an improvement in comparison.

He raised his head back over hers. Her eyes, red and puffy, stayed closed. "You're strong," he told her desperately. "You're strong. Come back to the present. Stay in the present."

It only took her a second to slip back into her panic. Her mind kept panicking. He kissed her anew as she kept thinking, 'she hated me. I should have died. Why am I still alive. I should be dead. In that underground crypt. Why?'

At the thought of the crypt, he lost the fight to keep her mind in the present. He went into it with her. She was looking down at... herself. Herself on the ground of Mukuro's fighting pit. Her body was battered and bruised. The back of her head was mess of blood and hair. The wind mage lay unconscious not far from Nishi. Physically, he was in a much better state.

In the flashback, he watched as Nishi walked towards her body, the desire to kill on the tip of her tongue. There was a sound of someone running up behind her, but her sole focus was on reaching her body and breaking her neck. It was going to be so easy.

She did not even panic when she should have when two bare hands came down on her bare left hand. Nor did she panic when she heard the stranger's order, "you like her now. She's proven to be strong and a worthy mate to Hiei."

In the flashback and in the present, Nishi did the same thing; screaming the word, "no!"

After that scream, she escaped Mukuro's flashback. He reared back over her. As she looked up at him, he realized that getting her the piece of Mukuro's soul out of hers was much more important now than ever. He could set the fox to it, to look for information in the library while they hunted for doxies. The sprite could help. Nishi could help too, before anything else got worse. She should be pulled from the hunting so that she can rest, learn to keep absolute control of herself before it consumed her. She would know what to look for. The rest of them could manage without her.

Right now, she needed to know what was happening to her. So then maybe she could control it until the time being.

Soothingly, he brought his hand just under her shirt, stroking her stomach and side. "It's not your memory," he preambled. She gave a soft, almost pleading sound. "Don't get mad at me for this," he requested, looking down between the two of them. Now that she was mentally back in the present, he noticed his arousal. He did not doubt she noticed it too. She looked down between the two of them. "I didn't know what else to do." She looked up at him, not angry with him at all. Her lips were so soft looking. He brought his mouth down to hers. Her hands came around his neck, pulling him down so he would be even more on top of her.

Between short, brief kisses, she managed to ask, "why'd... he do... do it?" Her hands began roam through his hair, tugging on it gently.

He raised his head up, looking her in the eye and saying without thinking, "because I loved you." She would have died if it was not for the stranger's actions.

She raised her head, kissing him anew. Without breaking the kiss, she pulled him down with her so her head was once more on the pillow beneath her. As they kissed, she managed to ask, "why'd she... she do... it?"

"Because I loved you," he echoed.

She moaned against his mouth as her hands sought his hair, tugging on it harder than before. He winced for a second at the sharpness of her nails on his scalp. He took her hands from his hair and held them down by her head. His fingers interlocked with hers. He raised his head up, and checked in her mind to see if she still had any residual panic left. She stared straight at his Jagan Eye even though she recalled he told her not to do that. She could not help her curiosity.

"You're done panicking," he breathed in relief.

No one, not himself, the detective, or anyone else, would be allowed to work her up to that point again. The argument they had in front of the detective, oaf, and fox ramped her up, and what the detective tried to ask in humor pushed her over the edge. He brought is hands off of hers, took her wrists gently, sat up straighter on her, and brought her hands to her sides. She tried to pull her hands away from him, but in case she was going to pull him back down, he held them fast to her sides.

"What happened to me?" she asked innocently.

He sighed heavily and began explaining, "remember how Mukuro gave you extra years to live from herself?" She nodded slowly. He continued as carefully as he could, "more than just years were transferred it seems. Sometimes more gets transferred." He was trying to remember everything he had read all that time ago when he wanted to give her the mate gift. That should have been his sacrifice, not Mukuro's. "I suspected it, but couldn't be sure until now..." He grumbled softly, "how would the fox explain this..." If he did it wrong, she could freak out all over again.

She almost picked up on what he was saying. "What else did she give me?"

As gently as he could, he informed her, "it seems like a residual part of her soul might have ended up in transference."

Her face paled almost immediately. Her breath went haphazard all over again. "What?" She swallowed thickly. "What? Am I possessed?"

He touched her again in a way to calm her back down. His thumbs sought out the insides of her wrists, moving them in soft circles. "Kind of." Explaining this was a lot harder than he thought it was going to be. He had discussed it with the fox, who knew way more about it than he had. "It's not enough to do any harm intentionally. It would explain why you went into a form of mate shock when she died. Your body is fine, but her bit of soul doesn't understand why it's still alive and she's still dead. And then just now when reminded of her death. Especially that flashback. She's given you memories before, but that wasn't one of them. that's a sign of a residual soul in the wrong body."

She was trying so hard not to panic anymore. "Why now?" she sobbed.

He could not watch her panic another time. He would not let it happen. "Shh, stop panicking. Be strong." He brought his hands down on either side of her head. He kissed her as gently as he could, but pulled away before it got too steamy. He kept explaining, "rarely does someone else besides a mate gives years to another. And only where there is a significant age gap." Just like they had had before Mukuro gave her the mate gift. Before Mukuro closed that gap, it would have meant nearly a century at best when she passed away. "that's why your body is acting like it's mate shock at her death and the thought of her death. When mating has nothing to do with it. Small pieces of soul, no bigger then a spec of dust can end up in the transfer, and there's no way to cause it or prevent it."

She closed her eyes for a minute or two, focusing on breathing slowly, deeply, and evenly. She could take all the time she needed. Her mind was eerily calm and she felt all of sudden groggy.

When she finally reopened her eyes, she wondered aloud, "why now? Why did I panic like that now? Why not when you originally told me he will controlled her?"

He responded guiltily, "because right now your physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from the doxy hunting, from seeing your cousin again, and from me. Yusuke bringing up Mukuro's gift tipped you over the edge."

She slipped her hands up between them, rubbing them over her face. Her muscles were rigid and tense, even if her mind was calm. "Now what?"

He sighed, trying not to look too hopeful. He knew one way for certain how to relax her, a way he truly wanted. He brought his hand down on her hair, stroking it tenderly. "You need to relax. Maybe sleep."

She did not want to sleep. "I don't think I can sleep. I'm too wired."

He smirked in spite of himself. She noticed too. "You know, I find it interesting you haven't been pissed off that I've been on top of you," he hinted flirtatiously. He kissed her quickly, pulling away before she could think to kiss back. She raised her head up in an attempt to follow his. "Repeatedly." He brought his mouth back down, giving her a playful bite on her lower lip before sucking on it. She turned her head to one side, giving him access to her neck. He went right for it. He checked her mind to make sure what he was doing was wanted. She was unsure if it was or not.

He wanted her badly, had imagined what he would do to her for weeks, but not this way. He wanted her to want him back; wanted her writhing with desire. He did not want her laying there and taking it passively like she was ready to do now.

He got off of her and then the bed. He stood next to the bed as she looked at him with a puzzled frown. Her face like that almost made him change his mind. "Turn on your stomach," he told her.

She did as bid without words or questions. The sight of her like that was beyond tempting. He stepped next to her on the bed. He had heard from the mate before that when the large demon was too strung out, she would give him a massage to relax his muscles. He disliked that he got the idea from her, but it might help Nishi relax physically.

He straddled her lower back, trying not to let his hard on get in the way. He warmed his hands up and brought them down on her shoulders. He rubbed them, but clearly too roughly because she winced and tried to wriggle away. He saw in her mind that she did not like the heat nor the rough touch. He brought his hands up, shook the heat off, and brought his hands back down to her shoulders. He tried to be gentler, but she still did not like whatever he was doing. She was planning to spare his feelings though and would let him do whatever he wanted to.

He got off of her again. She turned her head back to him, raising her upper body just slightly off the bed. She needed to sleep, so he should have just put her to sleep rather than touching her the two ways he did.

"I should have just done this," he thought out loud.

He entered her mind again, making her want to look at his Jagan Eye, which she resisted initially. She looked him in the eyes instead. Her resolve slipped, and her eyes rose up to look at his Jagan Eye. She stared at it without blinking.

Once he had all of her focus, he compelled her, "sleep." She blinked, trying to pull away from his compulsion. She yawned, but resisted the desire to sleep. "Sleep," he told, not understanding how he could have her enthralled and still not able to put her to sleep like a normal human mind would have been.

She broke off from his gaze. She struggled to raise her upper body off of the bed, groaning in resistance. She shook her head immediately.

He stepped right next to her on the bed. She turned herself sideways to look up at him, but in the eyes. She should not have been to resist him like that. Strong or weak, she was still human.

He brought his hand under her chin, making her raise her head and look back at his Jagan Eye. He recaptured her gaze with it. Before she could break away a second time, he directed, "stop being obstinate. Just. Sleep."

He pushed into her mind, making her brain only think about sleep. Her head lolled in his hand. She thought about how she liked the warmth of it. She smiled sweetly as she succumbed to sleep.

Once she was finally asleep, he stepped over to her feet, pulling off her shoes, and then setting them down on the floor by the bed. Next, he tugged the sheets out from under her and then covered her with them. He watched her sleeping form, breathing deeply, strongly, and, above all else, peacefully.

He felt the temptation to climb into bed with her. He felt like it was best to leave her alone, but gave into the selfish motive to lay down with her. He went to the other side of the bed and climbed into it. He settled down into a sitting form, pulling her over to him and laying her head down on his lap. He stroked her hair absentmindedly.

He wanted her out of the doxy hunting until she figured out either how to control the foreign soul piece within her or how she could get rid of it. Just as well, the hunting had been wearing her out physically and spiritually anyway. She was still too loud when she scouted by herself. When the large demon doubled the ranging distance for the three of them, she could hardly do it. So much flying, so little rest. She was getting too slim again. The circles under her eyes were heavy and black. She should rest more often.

Without disturbing her rest, he put his headband back on. He leaned his head back on the head board, glancing around the room. So neat, tidy, and precisely organized like she liked. Sometimes it seemed overkill, but she kept it up. Careful to keep from jostling her, he reached over to her nightstand, grabbing the book she left there. He opened it up, flipping through the first few pages. Sometimes what she read peeked his curiosity.

He heard a boisterous knock on the main door. He sensed the large demon behind it. He nearly called for him to come in, but Nishi shifted in her sleep, nuzzling his leg and bringing hand up to it near her face. It rested on his leg.

Mentally, he bid the large demon to come in, warning him to be quiet when he did.

The large demon came in through the sitting room, leaving the door wide open. His whole frame filled the opening. "How is she?" he hoarsely whispered.

Hiei brought his hand down to her face, brushing away a few stray hairs that cascaded over her closed eyes. "Resting now."

"What exactly happened?" the large demon asked in a normal voice.

Hiei frowned at him, feeling like he was being too loud. Nishi hummed in her sleep. "A panic attack," he called softly. "Ask Kurama. He was there in the beginning."

The large demon looked sour. "You know I don't like him. And only tolerate him for your sake."

"You know, he could say the same of you, but with a better temperament and better courtesy," Hiei responded. "You're too loud," he hinted, looking down at Nishi.

The large demon shook his head and gruffed. "We have a squad meeting in ten minutes. I'm fine with excusing her, giving the state of things, but you, you're fine." Hiei rested his hand on Nishi's shoulder.

"Are you finally going to tell them about Ichiro?" he asked. "Or shall I?"

"No." The large demon countered with questions of his own. "How do you think she will react when she wakes up like that? In a position like that. A position that she undoubtedly did not fall asleep in considering how she is still half icy when it comes to you." Hiei stared at him, face revealing nothing. "Let her sleep and awake naturally. You'll see her again later today."

Hiei rolled Nishi over carefully. Her brow furrowed, but she was still sleeping readily. She would wake up naturally, once her body got the rest it desired. He wondered whether or not she would want him there when she awoke. He bent his head down to her, kissing her lips gently. Her face had a soft pink glow to it. An almost deceptive look considering how strong she was.

The large demon ended the moment. "You know, I would love to see her fight one of my woman fighters. Ayane would be curious enough to try her. I have a feeling that even if she did not win, she would drag the fight out as long as possible. She would refuse quit." A tone of admiration sang in his words.

Hiei rolled off of the bed carefully, so as not to disturb her sleep. The large demon walked away, with Hiei following him after him. Once they left their rooms, Hiei blurted out, "I don't want her doxy hunting anymore."

The large demon froze mid-step and then turn right back around. "We need her," he argued. "We're down five since we left the Hayato clan. We need her scouting. She's improved at it. She can fly faster than other man bar you and myself can run."

Hiei shook his head. "She needs to rest," he insisted.

"She agreed to help us, on her own volition," the large demon snarled. "I'll pull her back as much as I can, but I can't completely," he offered. "Besides, if I cut her out completely, what's to stop her from running off into the woods on her own?"

The idea made Hiei grow cold. "Nothing," he admitted. Nishi would do it too if she felt like she was being side lined. She would disappear into the woods, trying to find the doxies herself just to spite them. "Pull her back as much as possible without arousing her suspicion," he insisted.

The large demon nodded in agreement. "Midori's due soon. Tell her to ask Nanashi to be go with her. Nanashi likes her. She'll do it."

As they resumed walking, the large demon asked, "so what exactly happened to Nanashi?"

As they walked, Hiei discreetly explained about Mukuro and her soul piece getting stuck in Nishi's soul after she received the mate gift. It irked the large demon to learn about it.

They finished talking just as they reached the library to meet with the other squad members plus the detective and the oaf. The squad members were quite intrigued by the detective and the oaf, standing a little bit off from them. The detective and the oaf were openly answering the few bold questions put to them by the squad about being human and living in the Human World.

"You've got quite the exotic friends," the large demon said to Hiei as a way to announce his and Hiei's entrance into the library. To the detective and the oaf he said, "Nanashi was the first human this lot ever met. Adding you two in the mix is quite exciting. The next human they meet will be such a disappointment."

"Happy to help," the detective said passively. To Hiei, he asked, "speaking of Nanashi, how is she?"

"Resting," Hiei responding, hoping to cut the conversation down to just that. The squad members were looking at each other and him in curiosity.

"How bad did she freak out about... it?" the oaf asked somewhat carefully. "Did you tell her what Kurama told us? Or did she know about it before hand?"

"Don't worry about it," Hiei said, shaking his head. "She's fine, she's sleeping."

The squad members looked concerned. The healer asked, "does she need any healing?"

"No," Hiei grumbled. "None of you better go asking after her about this. It's private." The healer clammed up mutely after that.

The large demon stepped forward and clapped his hands with a loud crack. "Right, let's get these two humans caught up," he stepped over to the large table where the map of Alaric was set up. "Gather around men. Time to teach these humans all but the doxies."

Over the grid map of the Alaric area and over an hour of explanations and answers were given to the detective and the oaf in a crash course manner. The detective's questions were basic and clarifying, but the oaf had some really in depth and intuitive questions. Some of those questions seemed to throw the large demon at first, but he answered them the best he could.

When the meeting was finished and the squad was dismissed to go to lunch, the detective pulled Hiei aside. "So what exactly happened?" he asked discreetly. No one else hung around to listen in. The oaf had left with the healer, talking about the Human World some more.

Hiei saw the large demon started to hang about, but changed his mind. "When Mukuro gave her the mate gift, there was a risk a tiny part of her soul could get lost in the mix," he informed the detective.

"Right. Mukuro gave her like another century to live. And that's what happened?" the detective asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

Hiei nodded. "There was no way the dark crone who did that procedure could have prevented it."

"Is this the first time she's been set off?" the detective inquired in concern.

Hiei shook his head. "I've seen her do twice before. Neither of those time did she realize what was happening."

The detective gave a low whistle. "What sets it off?"

"Being overly emotional, especially angry," Hiei admitted.

"Could of guessed that," the detective muttered. "How does she get rid of it, like get better?" Hiei shook his head and shrugged his shoulder. "How do you know what's wrong, but don't know how to fix it?"

"Because I researched the mate gift, but I didn't finish reading about it. Mukuro destroyed the book before I could finish reading it," Hiei explained.

The detective frowned in puzzlement. "Why did she destroy the book that was about the life span transference? She's the one whose did it for Nanashi."

Hiei looked away, not sure how to explain it properly. "Because I was originally going to give Nanashi the life span transference. When Mukuro found out, she destroyed the book."

The detective looked a little taken aback. "Then why did Mukuro do it instead?"

"So I wouldn't have to," Hiei breathed.

"Whoa," the detective gasped. "I didn't know... So, um, how are, what happened when you ran off with Nanashi earlier today?"

Hiei shook his head to clear his mind. "She had a flashback from one of Mukuro's memories. One of the ones when Yasha pissed her off. I tried to keep her mind in the present, but it didn't work. She rode through it until it was over," he finished hollowly. "I managed to get her to relax and then sleep before I came to the meeting."

"How exactly did you try to keep her mind in the present, to get her to relax, or even get her to sleep?" the detective asked curiously.

Hiei debated how to explain that. "I kissed her. Among other things," he muttered. This conversation was beginning to get uncomfortable.

"Oh," the detective muttered, trying not laugh. "Other things..." he hinted suggestively. He gave Hiei a playful punch. "You're something else," he teased. "You can try to keep your feelings hidden all you want, but when push comes to shove, you love her. Not perfectly, but with how fierce she can be, it'd be hard for anyone all the time." Hiei studied him inquisitively about his words. "I was going to shorten my life for her, but Mukuro beat me to it," he added in a teasing voice. He gave him shove on the shoulder, pushing him towards the door. "Come on you love struck bastard, I'm hungry."

They left the library together, walking in step. When they were almost at the dining hall however, the detective stopped abruptly. "What is it?" Hiei asked drolly.

The detective mused, "think Nanashi, I mean, Nishi," he added in teasing, "is awake yet?"

"If she is, she'll come down," Hiei determined. "If she's not, I'll tell them to save her some food."

The detective to walk towards Hiei and Nishi's rooms. "I'll go check on her. Hope you left her decent," he called back.

Hiei felt a growl escape his throat. "If she's asleep, let her stay asleep."

The detective raised his hand dismissively, "yeah, yeah, won't wake her."

Hiei went by himself into the great hall and settled himself down at the high table. He was annoyed that the large demon sat in Nishi's seat. Hiei said as he sat down, "that's not your seat." He did not push for him to move though.

"Nanashi's not here. She's sleeping," the large demon responded. "This seat should not be empty. Besides, who else would you have sit as your second?"

Hiei looked over at the table where the fox and the oaf sat. As he did so, he said, "I could think of a few others who would be just as worthy."

The large demon clicked his teeth to express his how slightly irked at the comment he was. He soon let it pass however as the meal began. He did start drawling on about the mate since he missed her quite a bit still, but Hiei only half listened to what he had to say. When he was at the clan and hovering around the mate because he missed Nishi, he wondered if he was so equally annoying.

The room had a dull roar of murmuring. The sounds almost ceased when the detective came barreling in in a show, dragging a flushed and breathless Nishi behind him. Nishi bumped right into him when he stopped in the door. The detective announced loudly for all the room to here, "see, I told you she was awake." He looked proud of himself for it too.

Nishi gave the room a quick scan, her eyes slowing down at the high table. They stopped at the large demon. She narrowed them at the large demon with distaste. She stepped around the detective purposefully. She kept her eyes locked on the large demon as she headed right for the head table. The large demon hissed through his teeth, knowing she was going to make him get out of her rightful seat.

She got over halfway there when the detective came up behind her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her over with him to the table that the oaf, fox, sprite, healer, and a few other squad members sat at. "Na uh, you've got guest. You're sitting with me."

Nishi gave off a sweet sounding laugh as she sat down between the sprite and the detective. The sprite did not seem to mind so much having to scooch closer the healer. He certainly seemed to like her doing that as well. There was a spark there, both unexpected and exciting. Hiei felt a biting jealousy at how easy it seemed to go for them.

He broke his gaze at the sprite and healer when he noticed Nishi's head moving. He met her gaze breathlessly. She gave him an unexpected, yet sweet smile. She then shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. He nodded at her impassively. She bit her lip, making her look all the more desirable in that moment than the previous one. When the detective shook her shoulder, she looked away, laughing at something he had to say. Hiei kept watching her however.

"Be careful," the large demon told him discreetly. "You look about ready to drool."

"Shut up," he hissed back.

Throughout the rest of the meal, Hiei watched Nishi passively. The detective kept her enthralled and made her laugh. At one point, when she was drinking, the detective said something that was humorous. She choked in her cup, setting it down with a trembling hand. It took her but a second to regain her breath. The detective smacked her on the back in unnecessary assistance. She was quick to push his hand away and then smacked him on the arm. Hiei tried not to seethe visibly at watching them. She was unnaturally sweet, forgiving, and good-natured with the detective. She loved him so freely, playfully, and happily. And all he had to do was show up to bring that out in her.

Even after the meal, the detective occupied her time. Hers, some of the squads, the healers, the sprite's, and the twins. His girl even took to him almost immediately; once she got over her shyness. He would play with her roughly, the way she liked. Even when she burned his hand, he only paused long enough for the healer to heal him. Her boy though, preferred the company of the oaf. The oaf was gentle and attentive.

Even after the twins were put to bed, the fun continued. At the detective's suggestion, drinks were poured in the library, flowing freely. The only who did not drink was the sprite. Both Hiei and the large demon only had one drink a piece. The other squad members had no more than three a piece. The large demon took his time to finish his, seeming to not have the taste for it. Hiei lost count at how many drinks Nishi had. She seemed to be trying to keep up with the detective, but gave up half way through the evening.

The only tension that happened was when the fox left with the sprite, the detective asked about the two of them. The healer got flustered, but Nishi broke in a baldy joke to break the tension.

After that, the large demon called for all there to go to bed because they were doxy hunting in the morning. The squad members got up on order and obeyed without a word. Yet when Hiei and the large demon went to leave, Nishi, the detective, and the oaf stayed put. The large demon was fully expecting them to be as obedient to him as his men were. Two and a half or so humans raised in the Human World instead of the clan were not about to get up and follow his orders at will. Nishi might have, if she was alone, but next to the detective, he was more influential.

The large demon was not one who was used to being disobeyed. He cleared his throat disapprovingly. The detective raised a drunken hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll catch up. Sir!" He gave a mocking salute, which made Nishi cough into her drink with laughter. "Talk to you in the morning." He waved good bye.

The large demon's nose twitched in irritation. Nishi, drunker than she had probably ever been picked up on it. "We'll be up soon," she slurred out the promise. "Five or ten minutes."

"Come on," Hiei beckoned the large demon. He would only serve to cause an argument with how drunk the three humans were.

The large demon followed him out, bristling. "I'm not so sure I like those human boys," he grumbled.

"You'll get used to them," Hiei excused. They had reached the point where they needed to head separate directions to go to bed. "Good night," he said dismissively.

"Good night," the large demon yawned, heading towards his room that he no longer shared with anyone.

Hiei made his way up to his and Nishi's room. As he got himself ready for bed, he saw nothing in her mind that hinted at her coming to bed anytime soon. He left her mind and tried to fall asleep by himself. After an hour, he just simply tossed and turned. He yearned for Nishi in the bed next to him. In the eyes of the wrong demon, he would have looked pathetic.

He checked her mind once more. He overheard them bantering; even poking fun at him. She was also aroused and thinking about him, but even that was a nuisance. She was too drunk for that. The next time he had her, she had to be sober and absolutely willing. When he grew tired of ease dropping, he slipped back out of her mind, feeling worn out from the activity. He slipped into an uneasy sleep.

He was half aware when Nishi managed to stumble into the bedroom drunk. She was in a rush, jumping on him in the bed. She landed on him, knee coming by accident to his groin. He was fully awake when she did that. Instinctively, he threw his hand up and grabbed her by her throat. When he caught on to what he was doing, he pulled his hand back and shoved her to her side of the bed. She reeked of alcohol. The smell burned his nose.

He rubbed his groin, trying not to get excited when he did it. She was made stupid by all that drinking. "What the hell do you think your doing?"

"I, I'm sorry," she fumbled to say just those two words.

He dropped his hand on himself. "That was a long five to ten minutes," he said sarcastically.

Nishi squirmed, displeased by his tone. "Um, we lost track of time. Talking and stuff. And uh, things."

"Drinking," he half swore. A drink or two after dinner was one thing, but getting tumbling drunk was another.

"You drank too," she whined like a child.

He turned to face her, "I had one. And how many did you have?"

She pouted at him, but being so drunk it was almost ugly on her face. "None of your business."

"That many huh," he commented. Even he had lost track of how many she had downed. He did know she took four shots in rapid succession when losing a drinking game to the detective. That might have been enough to get her drunk alone.

"Hey," she whined.

He pushed himself up to a sitting position. "When's the last time you decided to be so playful? You're cousin shows up, uninvited. And suddenly you have a sunny disposition and forgiving open-handedly. And the world is all better." The words tumbled out of his mouth.

She pathetically smacked her pillow beneath her. "If you're gonna be a jerk-"

He butted in and quoted, "I think your exact word was 'ass.'"

"Really?" she grumbled in disbelief. "Were you listening in?"

He lay back down on the bed. Dealing with her drunk was somewhat harder than dealing with her sober. "I can multitask in my sleep."

"Oh, you're such an ass," she half yelled as she kicked at him. He moved his leg out of the way, but she was so inebriated, that she probably would have missed him anyway. She was fuming as she stumbled her way off the foot of the bed. At first, he thought she was leaving the room, but then she walked around to her side of the bed, bumping her leg on the corner, and then climbed into the bed again on her side. She laid down under the main blanket, but not under the sheet. "I'm so not moving over to you in my sleep tonight," she slurred out in threat.

She ended up doing so anyhow half way through the night.


	117. Chapter 117

Hayate was not sure what to make of these two new humans, well, one and a half humans anyway. They just showed up practically out of the blue. The boisterous one, Yusuke, was a frustrating influence. He showed up unannounced, picked a fight with Hiei, and then ruined a whole day that would have been good for hunting. Then he distracted Nanashi all day. Also set her into a panic attack. Worst of all, he got her drunk.

The next morning, Hayate had to go hunt down both new humans and drag them out to go doxy hunting. He was not about to let them delay or ruin a second day in a row for hunting.

After he had dragged the two new humans out of the castle to start hunting, with of course the two of making a fuss, he saw Nanashi. She looked awful; pale, dry and course hair, a green tinge to her face, and exhausted. She looked like she needed rest and water. He recalled being asked to pull her as much from the doxy hunting as possible.

Hayate stepped away from Yusuke and nodded towards Nanashi to follow him. She did so, half dragging her feet as she moved. Once they were in a more private spot of the yard, he turned to her. She looked sallow. "Do you mean to continue this mission?" He hoped he could get her to back out of the mission on her own volition. That would make it so much easier.

She jumped at his question. "Wha- yes." Of course it would not be that simple with her.

He shifted his weight and pulled her over to him by the forearm. "Even after yesterday's... events?" he drawled out. She was under too much stress for this mission.

He looked down at her hip, seeing Jiro's knife on her hip. It had belonged to Jiro's great grandmother and was passed down mother to daughter until it hit Ichiro and Jiro's mother. Since they were two brothers, it should have gone to Ichiro, the elder brother, when his mother passed away. However, Ichiro was in exile, so it went to Jiro. And now it belonged to Nanashi. There were worse people who would inherit it. He reached over and fiddled with the hilt of, now, her knife.

She spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Oh. The panic attack... and news of Mukuro's..." She shuddered as if she was cold.

He raised his head up and looked into her eyes. "If you need... more rest-" he started.

"No," she interjected and shook her head. "Sorely tempted, but no. That's so tempting, but unfair to the others." Hayate let go of her knife's hilt.

Fairness to the others was not what he was gunning for. "The others didn't just find out they have someone else's soul in their body. Or freaked out over it."

"I don't feel any different," she murmured. Her eyes went out of focus for just a second.

Hayate tried to think what he could do to convince her to take the rest he offered her. With her current hang over, she could surely use it. "You should rest another day or two. Today and tomorrow."

"No," she refused.

He felt his temper sparking. "Any of the other men, including your mate, would jump on that. Why do you turn it down?"

Nanashi did not believe a word he was saying. "He would not take that offer and neither will I." She was so stubborn when she should not be.

He brought his hands down on her shoulders and leaned his head down in line with her head. "Nanashi-" he growled.

She pushed back with her shoulders. "You said no one rests today. And Kouki wants tomorrow off. You're giving him that day off."

Hayate straightened up, confused why she would demand Kouki of all people get a chance to rest instead. "Why him?"

Nanashi spoke confidently, "you brought unmated men here to see if Midori will choose one. She's chosen him."

It was slightly annoying that he was hearing this for certainty from her, rather than from Kouki. "Kouki... That was... unexpected. I would have thought Osamu or Jiro before- well..." He grounded his teeth, thinking about how to make her rest too. "If you rest tomorrow, I'll let him off as well."

Nanashi gave him a challenge look. "If you let me rest tomorrow, then I'll go off on my own and hunt them down. And I know you won't want me to do that would you? Being that I'm tired and all?"

Hayate did not doubt she would do that just to be spiteful for one second. He brought his hand up under her chin, making her look up at him. He knew Hiei would not like him touching her, but it made missing Minha a little painful. "Bold, stubborn, and slightly masochistic. Those aren't normal human traits."

She pushed his hand away, saying, "I guess they are for me."

She turned on her heels and waltzed back towards the squad. Hiei had come out of castle just in time to see her walking off and Hayate not far behind her. Hiei cast an inquisitive gaze at Hayate. Hayate shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Nanashi walked over to sit down next to Yusuke and Kuwabara on the steps. She laid her upper body down with a groan.

Yusuke poked her, making her groan louder. "Hey, you okay?" She made an indiscriminate noise. He chuckled under his breath. "On a scale of one to ten, how hung over are you?"

"Evelen," she slurred clumsily.

Yusuke laughed a little more. "That bad huh? I bet if you asked guard dog nicely, he'll let you go crawl back in bed."

Nanashi sat up brushed her hair out of her face. "No," she grouched. She reached over to her pack near her, dug out her water bottle, and chugged part of it. "Everyone's here. Let's go doxy hunting," she said, severely lacking enthusiasm.

Hayate had a little trouble getting them lined up as the new humans did not want to listen properly. They finally got themselves go twenty or so minutes late. Hie was the scout today. Nanashi kept struggling to keep up, but refused to go back to the castle. When Hiei would report what he was seeing on recon, Yusuke was quick to make jokes about what he heard.

At the lunch break, Nanashi laid down with her head on her pack sleepily. After five minutes of her laying down, Yusuke walked over to her and nudged her with his foot. She groaned under her breath, reached her hand over, and smacked him on the foot meekly.

Yusuke bent done over her prone form. "How's the head?" She responded by nuzzling her face into her pack. "You know, if you don't eat, it will just take longer to get over your hang over."

"Fuck it, alright," she swore. She sat up where she was, opened her pack, pulled out her lunch kit, and opened it up. Hayate figured she only did that to get him to shut the up.

Yusuke went back to sit down next to Kuwabara, who was eating his own lunch. Kouki sat near Kuwabara, talking about other things quietly. "Oye, over here," he called over to Nanashi.

Nanashi grumbled incoherently, but she moved over to where the other two humans and Kouki sat and sat down next to Yusuke. Hayate watched her pick at her food, eating just the meat, but ignoring everything else.

Yusuke poked her once more. "Dude, at least eat the rice. The carbs will the best. Sucks up the drink."

"I'm not hungry at all," she grumbled. She reached over to one of her water bottles, shook it, looked disappointed, and took a small sip from it. "Just really thirsty."

Yusuke passed her over one of his two water bottles. "Here, take some of mine."

Hayate clicked his teeth, not wanting Yusuke to give up his water like that. "He's fine," he heard Hiei say super quietly. "If he wants to share his water, let him."

"If he runs out, he'll just complain," Hayate retorted.

Hiei gave a soft laugh and nodded knowingly. "Let him."

Hayate huffed, turning back to his own lunch kit. As he ate silently, he eased dropped into what Yusuke and Nanashi were talking about. He was just so freaking chatty.

Yusuke continued talking with Nanashi, "you do know you didn't have to try to keep up with me last night with drinking. I've got at least twenty pounds on you, and I doubt you drink very often."

She shook her head. "Is that why I'm so parched and my head hurts?" she asked sarcastically. She took another swallow of his water.

"Yep, that's how it works," he teased. She gave a quick snarl. "So uh, how much do you remember doing and saying last night? Did you black out at all?"

"I'm pretty sure I remember everything from last night," she responded. "I wasn't that drunk."

"Oh yeah?" he preempted. She threw him a look that challenged him to prove her wrong. He smirk mischievously. "Do you recall telling me how big Hiei is?"

Hiei's head snapped up and looked over at the pair of them immediately. Guess Yusuke finally crossed a line for Hiei now. He looked ready, but hesitant to intervene.

Nanashi looked at Yusuke in shock. "I didn't," she breathed disbelievingly. Yusuke started snickering. "It's not funny," she whined immaturely. "Please tell me I didn't."

Yusuke shook his head. "No, you didn't. You just whined out 'none of your business.'" He imitated her voice when he said it.

Nanashi reached over to Yusuke and smacked him intentionally on the arm. "Ow! Hey! That actually hurt," Yusuke exclaimed.

"You're a dick sometimes," Nanashi accused.

"Better than an ass," Yusuke was quick to reply. Nanashi shot him a death glare. "Alright, jeez. Sorry. Learn to take a joke." Nanashi looked away from him and ate a little more of her rice. "So when's the last time you drank?"

Nanashi chewed and swallowed. Then she sat still and looked thoughtful. "I don't remember..."

"That long huh?" he replied. "The last time I saw you drink anything was at your wedding. And that was just the ceremony's sake."

"Um, hmm, that might have been the last time I drank then," she murmured in slight embarrassment. She reached over to his water, drinking carefully from it.

"Wait a minute, you were pregnant at that time," Yusuke jumped in concern. "Why did you drink if you were pregnant?"

Nanashi said between nibbles, "I didn't know I was pregnant at that time. I was like two or three days pregnant if that. Besides, the wind dragon kept them from being damaged from the alcohol or whatever." She paused, growing a bit somber. She stared off into the distance. "Hiei knew. But he waited until after the wedding to tell me. He did not want to spoil the day..." She cast a side long glance at Hiei ponderously.

"Oh yeah?" Yusuke commented. He tread carefully as he worded the part. "Was that before or after he decided he was going to give you part of his life span so you live just as long as he does?"

Nanashi seemed to grow smaller after that question. "Before," she said softly. So softly, Hayate hardly heard her word. She set her lunch down in front of her, not eating anymore of it.

Hayate glanced up at the sun, wishing she would have finished that meal. She was already lagging behind everyone and slowing them down. She really should have taken the offer to stay behind today.

Hayate rose up, announcing, "time to get back to hunting."

The Hayato men were quick to get moving, as were Hiei and Nanashi, but the other two humans stayed put. Hayate frowned over at them.

Yusuke stopped Nanashi as went to put her uneaten lunch away. "We only had like fifteen minutes," he called over to Hayate insolently. "Nanashi hasn't finished eating."

"She knew she would only have fifteen minutes. She spent that time unwisely," Hayate said as he threw his pack over his back.

Nanashi shook off Yusuke's hand on her arm. "It's fine," she told him. She did not desire Yusuke starting a fight with Hayate.

Yusuke shook his head and loudly complained, "this blow, I'm done." He stood up and grabbed his bag. "Kuwabara? You coming?"

Kuwabara himself looked half a sallow as Nanashi. He too was hung over, but less so. Mother be good, did all human males drink so much? If that was so, he could hardly blame Nanashi for seeking out a demon mate.

"Yeah, right behind you," Kuwabara agreed. He rose up to stand with Yusuke.

Nanashi stood up next. "What? You can't just quit after one morning. You said you'd help us," she exclaimed in surprise.

Yusuke looked down at her, softening just a bit. "Yeah, yeah. We will, don't worry," he promised with a playful punch to her shoulder. "Don't be such a mom. I wanna just go out there, ear piece free and see if I can shoot down one of these bad boys or two." He made a shooting motion with his hands. "Without listening to Hiei tell me all about how pretty this forest is."

Hotaka, who was nearby, butted in, "but there's a lot of them."

Yusuke looked over at Hotaka and scoffed, "four doesn't seem like a lot to me. And I bet I can take all four out before Kuwabara gets over his hang over."

"Hey!" Kuwabara butted in next. He grumbled, "I'm not that hung over."

Hayate stepped his way over to them. Yusuke did not cower, but Nanashi shrank back. "You agreed to help us. Going off like little boys into the woods-"

Yusuke waved his hands rudely and dismissively right in Hayate's face. With Nanashi so near, escalating this into a physical fight would be precarious. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say dad," he quipped. Nanashi would have never spoken to him or anyone so flippantly. "Tell you what, if we bag any doxies by dinner tonight, then we get to hunt our own way. If we don't, then we'll play soldiers all day long. Deal?"

Hayate bared his teeth down at Yusuke's boldness. "No, that's not what-"

Hiei butted in next, "let them go. They're too loud as it is." Hayate looked back over to where Hiei stood, ready to go back out hunting himself.

Yusuke was trying to make this fun, which could help disperse the tension. As long as the doxies were dead, this could work. There was a risk that they could come across Ichiro, but with how loud and insolent he was, it made it worth the risk.

"Alright," Hayate agreed reluctantly. "But if you boys don't catch and kill a doxy, then you lose your next day of rest each and they go instead to your cousin."

"What? No," Nanashi said in refusal.

"Deal," Yusuke said with a cocky grin. He was two years younger than Nanashi, but ten times as bold.

Yusuke and Kuwabara went stomping out into the woods. Kuwabara lead the way. Hayate took the others and went the way they had mapped out that morning. Nanashi kept struggling to keep up, but vehemently refused to go back to the castle with another man as her partner. Hotaka had been the one to volunteer to go with her. She also had drank through all the water she had brought with her, but even still, refused her team leader, Osamu, when he offered her some of his own. Hayate found her stubbornness troublesome. Hopefully tomorrow when she scouted she would have recovered. He would not let her find the doxies, but she would still scout out an area they would be near so the day's scout would not be a total waste.

Hiei was the one out scouting now, but he was not ranging as far as he was supposed to. He was too worried about Nanashi in her self induced sorry state. He let her become his weakness in all his pining.

As the afternoon waned, Nanashi struggled to even stay awake while Hiei was scouting. Hayate could have kicked her for that. After that, he kept her close to him when they laid on the ground, being watchful and waiting as Hiei scouted.

A little while later, she was quick to speak over her ear piece, "what was that?"

Hayate turned his head toward where she was looking. "What did you see?" Hiei asked over the coms before Hayate could get the chance.

"A a a- a flash, but I'm not quite sure," she said softly as she rose up from her laying position to her knees. She peered over the distance. As she knelt, her new knife's hilt got stuck in the ground. She pulled it up with her as she glanced into the woods.

"Get down," Hayate hissed at her, pulling her over towards him and to the ground. Once she was on the ground, she scooted away from him sulkily.

"I'm coming back," Hiei said over the coms.

"You just went out. You'd have hardly covered any distance since the last time you come back," Hayate pointed out.

"I want to investigate what she saw," Hiei reasoned.

Hiei was back in less than half the time it took him to go out last time. He knelt down next to Nanashi, between her and Hayate. She seemed slightly uncomfortable at how close he was, but she did not shrink away from him. "What did you see?" he pressed her.

"A flash," she responded, pointing in front of her. "Over there, but that cluster of bushes."

Hiei looked over towards where she pointed, narrowing his eyes, scanning the grounds before him. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary." Without turning his head, he asked, "Hayate, you're nearest her. Did you see anything?"

"No," Hayate responded, feeling she probably just saw the wind rustle through the leaves or something.

Hiei reached up to his headband, but stayed his hand. "Can I look into your mind? See what exactly you saw?" he requested tentatively. "Before I go scouting that area out." He pointed over to where she pointed.

Nanashi looked forward to where he pointed. She nodded willingly. "Just don't go rooting around," she requested feebly.

Hiei pulled off his head band, entering into Nanashi's mind. He knelt next to her as he did so. He closed his eyes while Nanashi laid on the ground, looking uncomfortable. When Hiei reopened his eyes, he put his headband back on.

"I'm going to go scout that way," Hiei decided, rising up. "All she did see was a flash, but there's always a chance something could be out that way."

He rose up, stepping away from Nanashi and Hayate. Hayate watched him as he first went to his own pack that was sitting in the middle with the other packs first. He dug out the last of his waters and came back to kneel down between Hayate and Nanashi. He set the water down next to her, warning, "that better be finished by the time I get back."

As he stepped out to start scouting in the new direction Nanashi was facing, she grumbled, "I told you not to root around."

He responded to her over the coms,"how thirsty you've been all day is at the forefront of your mind. There's no way I could have missed that."

Much to Hayate's surprise, Nanashi pulled the water over to herself and began to drink from it. He rather expected her to throw at Hiei, even if she was thirsty. She was softening back up to him, slowly but surely.


	118. Chapter 118

The large demon was fuming silently, beyond words. He should have been more grateful that the detective and the oaf bagged two doxies, albeit ones with markings that Hiei had not noticed before on the doxies he had seen. Hayate disagreed with him though, saying insistently he noticed those markings on the newest dead ones before. "They had to be..." blah blah blah.

Where the large demon was brooding, the detective and the oaf were proud, the detective especially. At dinner he described in detail what had happened when he and oaf found their two doxies to anyone who would listen to him. Nishi, sitting beside Hiei, could hear him. She listened and watched the detective boasting and gesticulating. Hiei noticed she grew paler when he describe what a doxy sounded like when it screamed. He did notice she ate the carbs on her plate, but picked at little else remaining on her plate. She did at least drank through three glasses of water, intending to re-hydrate herself. She should not go out tomorrow, especially since she would be scouting.

After the dinner and the corresponding squad meeting afterwards, Nishi was sensible enough to head to bed early rather than stay up late hanging out with the detective at least. He called her lame, but she ignored him.

After the squad meeting, Hiei had intended to go to the library with the others who were going for, as the large demon ordered, a limit of two drinks. The healer though had another thing in mind.

"My lord," the healer called to him, stopping him before he entered the library's doors. Hiei turned around, seeing a shaken, but brave man standing before him. "Could I talk with you privately?" He was shifting his weight, antsy.

Hiei nodded, beckoning him to follow him until they were at a private part of the hallway. Hiei leaned his weight against the outer wall between two very Human World like windows, and crossed his arms. "What is it?" he asked, worried he might have found out about the doxy trainer in some way. If and when the squad found out about him, that was the large demon's problem.

The healer drew a courage summoning breath. "How did you know?" he started the question. Hiei frowned at him, not sure what he was asking. He could have been asking based on any topic. "About Nanashi? How did you know she was the one for you to mate claim?"

Hiei blinked at him, not sure how best to answer that question. It was not one he could answer with a thought of how the fox would answer it. "She came up to me after the first demon king tournament and demanded it."

The healer seemed thrown by that question. "But you had Ayane, here, waiting for you after the tournament. Ayane has never even half considered someone mate claiming her besides you. So instead of her, you claimed a strong human just because she demanded it of you?"

Hiei studied the healer curiously. "I desired her. I was exhausted when she made her offer, so I took her." He swallowed thickly at the memory of her nearly bleeding to death in the process.

"Oh," the healer said. "So... she was the one then?" He was struggling to understand. "For you, I mean."

Hiei dodged the question, but sorted out what he was prepping to ask. "If you want Midori, just ask her." The healer looked taken aback. "So long if you are fine with what had happened to her and are willing to rear her child as your own."

The healer picked up a passionate aura. "I will, I am, I do, I just," he rushed out. "I... physically I am stronger than she is, but even still, I am weak in my clan. I'm not marked to be a serious fighter and I'm barely above the coward level some days. But with Midori, emotionally and mentally, she is strong and resilient beyond anyone else I've known. She's told me what she went through. How she would volunteer in Sayuri's stead. And after that, she was adamant about keeping her child. Insisting that nothing and no one would make her give her up. And even before that, she even saved your life."

Hiei looked up at him, remembering, "she pulled a sword out of me."

The healer kept up his almost monologue, "she said when that, that monster, took over the castle and captured her and the other girls, she nearly gave up on believing there were any decent men in the world. But then when she saw you had come to save her and the others, It gave her the small glimmer of hope that there are still decent men in this world. It was that hope that made her pull the sword out from your side rather than kill you as instructed."

Hiei looked the healer over, not sure how to respond. "If you want her, then take her, but know full well what you are taking on." Hiei pushed off of the wall, walked passed the healer, and kept going.

He walked through the castle, no real destination in mind. He realized when he reached the main door to his room that he was there. He went into rooms, heading straight into the bed room. He saw Nishi laying in bed, sleeping soundly.

The way she was sleeping was different than the way she originally fell asleep previous nights since she let him return to their bed. Her head was turned toward the center of the bed. She lay mostly on her stomach with one arm tucked under torso. Her other arm stretched out over the middle of the bed, as if reaching for something.

He got himself ready for bed, but set up on the bed with the blankets over his legs and hips. He looked over at Nishi next to him on the bed. She was not bred to be a fighter or to be strong like a demoness would have been. It had taken the death of her parents plus being thrown into the detective's life that brought her into the fold. Plus a lucky encounter for her to be given the wind dragon, a weapon that would make her stronger than she could have ever imagined. A weapon that made her stronger the more often she was around demons. With something like that, she had the potential to rival any demon, S class or above. Yet she lacked the drive to do that. She lacked the desire to be powerful. She was so different from Mukuro.

Mukuro had been driven to be better, faster, and stronger than any other demon. Had risen from the level of a slave to rise up and become one of the three kings in the Demon World. She took over smaller territories, like the clan, and made them part of her own, part of Alaric. It was possible that there never was and never would be another demoness that could rival the power she once possessed. While she had been so strong and so powerful, she had also been cunning and cruel. She had not been afraid to maim or kill when it suited her. She would take casualties and count them as victories if need be. She lacked compassion, mercy, and an element of tenderness. She was so different from Nishi.

Nishi stirred as he laid himself down on the bed. She pulled her outstretched arm away and rolled over, facing the outside edge of her bed. She made murmuring sounds as she moved, but no actual words. He settled down, studying her upper back and the back of her head. Her long black hair pooled behind her. He reached over to it, stroking a few strands on the end. Soft and long. He liked it like that.

He dropped his hand on her hair, feeling sleep come over him with ease. He was not sure how long he had been sleeping when he awoke with a start. Nishi had sat up in bed, crying out in panic.

"What?" he asked her, studying her face intently, trying to see if she had had another panic attack. She would not look at him, but she shook her head. She ran her hands over her face and eyes. "What?" he said more firmly, hoping she would explain herself.

She just hummed out a frightened sound in response. Mousily, she turned back to him and laid down next to him. Shyly, she crept closer to him until her head came to rest on his shoulder. She angled her head up to look at him. "Nightmare," she confessed in a tight voice. "It's stupid. Go to sleep."

He studied her carefully, bringing his arm around her back to pull her closer. Her face was so close to his. He drew in a gasp against his rising desire to pull her face to his and kiss her. She frowned up at him cutely, moving her face closer to his. He closed the distance between the two of them before she could. She must have been startled by it, because it took her a few seconds before she began to kiss him back. Each small kiss she gave him made him feel less and less worried that she would get upset with him and storm off.

He stayed on his back while she shifted her body up and then let him slip his tongue into her mouth. His hand snuck up to her hair, pulling her head down closer to his.

When he stopped fearing that she was going to shove him away, he rolled the two of them so that he was on top of her, but without his pelvis grinding against hers. He had no clothing on still, concerned this might make her want to stop. She brought her hands behind his back, running her nails across his skin. She pulled him down on top of her. It was all he could to to brace himself with one knee so she would not catch on to how swollen his cock had gotten.

He needed to shift so he could keep his cock off of her. He had to pull his mouth away from hers to do so. She whimpered in annoyance and then pulled his mouth right back to hers. He managed to pull his mouth away from hers, going for neck to kiss and nip it. It was really an effort to shift his weight above her without her pulling his mouth back down to hers.

His kissing and biting grew more feverish. She was still fully dress in a pajama top and bottom. He yanked the collar of it towards her shoulder, biting down at the soft flesh between her neck and shoulder. She gasped and squirmed as if uncomfortable. He pulled his mouth away and looked down at her eyes, trying to gauge if any of the sudden kissing was too much for her. He slid his hand underneath her top, stroking her stomach. She tensed up and closed her eyes, seeming like she did not like what he was doing. He pulled his hand away from her. She opened her eyes back up, looking at him curiously. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, with him moving out of her way. He was half sure she was getting ready to push him away and leave the room.

Instead she did something that absolutely arousing. She reached down to the end of her top and pulled it off of her. He let loose a desirous gasp at the sight of her topless. She threw her top over to the floor. Next, she was looming over him, kissing him. She pushed him down onto the bed, straddling his willing form. He pushed off of him and onto her back next to him. She gasped when he brought his mouth down to her right breast, sucking on it hard; just the way she liked it. He brought his right hand up to her left breast, teasing her there as well. Her head lolled. Her breathing turned into labored panting. When she sucked down a deep breath, he bit her breast hard. She kicked beneath him, panting in pleasure. He slipped his mouth away from the right side of her chest after a thorough lick before bringing his mouth down on her left side. Cautiously, he slide his right hand down to the hem of her bottoms. When she did not stop him, he brought his hand down boldly between her legs. She moaned softly at his touch.

He had her now thoroughly aroused for him. He was also so aroused for her it hurt. She had moved to kiss him first. She had not stopped him from touching her in any way. He silently wished to just strip her down and take her.

He raised his head up from her chest, whispering, "you have no idea how badly I want you."

That seemed to alert her to what they were actually doing. She let loose a discontented sigh and bit her lip out of nervousness. Her hand came to rest on his one teasing between her legs. She stopped his movements. She looked up at him with an array of emotions flickering in her eyes. They were too fleeting to name before they disappeared. She panted softly, removing her hand from his. When that hand of hers came around his cock, he breathed a quick sigh of relief.

With this green light of sorts, he brought his hand underneath her bottoms. She seemed to enjoy the skin on skin contact, panting as he teased. "You're so wet," he informed her. Wet for him. When he slid two fingers into her, making her tighten and gasp.

She was enjoying his ministrations. He chose not to tease, but rather to let her cum as soon as she was able. She let cock go and lay still on her back. When her legs drew closer together, she reached up towards him, pulling him down on top of her.

"Don't stop...," she whimpered the two words together in a single breath. "... don't stop..." Her nails bit and slipped along his back. "don't stop..." Her last words shifted into a half whimper, half scream.

When she finished, he watched as she lay on the bed, breathing heavily. She looked beyond peaceful. He slid his hands from her and up to his mouth, tasting her for the first time in a long while.

He reached over to the hem of her bottoms, tugging both them and her panties off. As he did so, he watched her carefully for any signs of resistance towards this. She looked over at him, lips slightly parted. She nodded ever so slightly.

"Lay on your stomach," he requested.

She blinked at him twice and then turned around, laying down on her stomach. She pulled her pillow over and laid on top of it. He pushed her right leg up and away from her left one. He took a moment to stroke her inner thigh. Her skin was so soft.

Boldly, he got on top of her and aligned his pelvis with hers. "Please," he thought out loud.

"Ok," she responded, nodding.

He pushed himself inside of her. She cried out, tightening on him the second he was in. She was so tight and so wet. He laid down on top of her back.

He took her hard, relishing in how wonderful she felt. "Oh Nishi, I forgot how tight you could be," he told her.

She tightened on him even more, clawing her fingers into the sheet beneath her. She shook beneath him, half panting, half whimpering. "Bite me," she moaned.

He brought his teeth down on the left side of her neck, biting with enough force to mark her, but not enough to break her skin. She screamed out in response to both his biting and the orgasm he felt washing over her. She managed to pull him along with her into his own orgasm.

When he finished inside of her, he laid down on top of her, panting in time with her own deep breathing. "Oh, Nishi..." he mumbled under his breath.

She hardly stirred beneath him. Lazily, he rose up off of her and went to their bathroom. He splashed water on his face, struggling to really believe what had happened just happened. She woke up. Went to kiss him first. Stripped her shirt off. Grabbed him. Begged him... It had been so long since the last time they really slept together like that. It felt almost like a dream. And now all he could think about was having her a second time tonight.

He went back into their bedroom, hardly making a noise as he walked over to the bed. She lay in the fetal position on the center of the bed with his pillow clung to her chests. She had not even bothered to cover herself with the blankets to nest like she usually would.

When he reached his side of the bed, she looked up at him wistfully. He gently tugged the pillow out of her arms and laid down next to her. He pulled her in close to him, stroking her hair in a soothing manner. She moved her head away from his hand and brought her mouth in line with his. She kissed him like she never had before. Passion surged within her kiss. She rolled onto her back, tugging him with her as she moved so he was on top of her. Boldly, she pulled his cock back inside of her without even asking him first.

He retook control of the situation, moving inside of her once more in a hard and steady rhythm while she insistently kissed him; holding his face so he could not pull away.

At first, he paid no mind to the wetness on his face, assuming it was her sweat or even his own. It was only when she pulled her face away from his did he realize she had been crying. She lay still beneath him, trying to be silent as the tears fell. He felt a gripping panic over not knowing exactly why she was suddenly upset. He stayed all his movements. She could not respond vocally, so she just shook her head.

He took a moment to pull off his headband and look into her mind. When he entered her mind, he saw her telling herself to stay calm and let him read as he wished. She was just a big mess of emotions running through her mind. Grief, love, anger, exhaustion, passion, impatience, among other things. Too many for her to handle. She did not need to scout or hunt for doxies. She needed to rest. Yet, how to convince her of that... There was no clue in her mind for how to do that.

"Shh, shh, shh," he soothed softly. She was drowning in her emotions, but she did not wish for him to stop. He renewed his thrusting, but taking an easier pace. He kissed away her tears, which helped her relax beneath him. He shushed her now and then comfortingly.

When her tears desisted, he noticed she was staring at the mate bite he she had made on his neck. He swallowed nervously, half hoping she would touch it or kiss it or something. He wondered if with her being human, he would draw pleasure from her touching it. He knew she did not draw pleasure when he touched her mate bites.

Without him even needing to suggest it, she raised her head up and kissed his neck bite. As she continued to softly play with the bite on his neck, he felt nearly overwhelming pleasure roll through his body. He slowed down his thrusts within her as the pleasure coursing from his neck was much more enjoyable. He began moaning in time her nipping.

"Oh... fuck... oh... fuck," he swore under his breath.

In her mind, he saw her internal excitement at the reaction he was making. Her overly emotional state had been striped away. It was replaced with her curiosity as to why he was reactive to her using her mouth on his neck mate bite.

He felt it necessary to explain. "It's new..." he shuddered out. "It's new... from the last time when you broke my... my skin..." He had to chose between thrusting and fully enjoying her mouth on his neck. He stilled, choosing his neck. He could not speak any more, as it was too distracting. He finished his explanation in her mind, 'you had started a mate claim on me, but didn't finish it. When demons are mate claimed, the marks are made into new zones of pleasure. You didn't finished it, so my neck was still afflicted.'

As if in response, she pulled her mouth away from his neck. He groaned at the sudden lack of pleasure coursing from there. She had a daring look dancing in her eyes. She grabbed him by the back of the neck and rolled the two of them so she was on top of him.

"Oh really?" she asked boldly. Being suddenly at her mercy like this was thrilling. She reached her index finger down and teased it along her neck bite. He craned his neck in a way that gave her more access to the spot. "Should I stop?" she purred.

"Fuck no," he sighed.

He could not figure out which felt better; her mouth and tongue or her finger. She hunched down over him, bringing her mouth back done to his neck bite, teasing the spot with her tongue. Her tongue. Her tongue was better. He reached his hands up and shoved her hips down on his cock as far as he could. Even though his hands tried to hold her hips down, her tongue was too distracting pleasurably. He let her move up and down on him, loosening his grip on her hips even more when he noticed her movement enhanced his pleasure. He pulled a hand away from her hips and brought it up to the back of her neck, tugging on a handful of her hair.

The she did something that pushed him over the edge; she bit down on his neck, making him scream at the intensity of it all. "Oh fuck, Nishi..." he swore.

He could not move, did not want to move. Bliss felt like it was coursing through out his body. Nishi laid her head down on his chest. She had enough where with all to pull a blanket over the two of them.


	119. Chapter 119

'She's become your weakness,' the large demon thought to Hiei as the lay near each other while Nishi scouted. 'That is the danger of mating someone who is weaker than you.' Hiei tried to ignore him, concentrating on watching Nishi in her scouting; staying in her mind and seeing what she was seeing. 'You're wearing yourself out staying in her mind all day.'

'She's strong,' was all Hiei thought back.

Nishi had been scouting all day and the sun was starting to set. Hiei had stayed in her mind since they started hunting, his head did have a dull ache from it. She had not found the doxies, but had found several fresh signs of them. She was very determined to find them because of a bet she and the detective had made earlier in the morning.

Hiei recalled what happened earlier in the day, much a whirl wind it was. He had awoken earlier than Nishi had, getting the opportunity to watch her sleep after he had readied himself for hunting. He gave into the desire to read her mind to figure out exactly why she had so readily slept with him last night. Pity. With a mix of loneliness. Only a dash of desire. It was not how he had wanted her after so long. When she woke up and he questioned her, she answered him honestly, but showed that her renewed desire for him burned within her now. All he wanted to now was to lock the two of themselves away in their rooms until she was sated.

Yet they had doxy hunting to do this day. And the next and next and next until the doxies were dead. The sprite and the fox had left with the healer this morning to the Spirit World so the sprite could have her baby. Hiei wished Nishi would have gone with them as well. It would have been safer there for her. Her scouting during the doxy hunting was more dangerous with her not knowing about the doxy trainer.

He also recalled in the morning after the sprite, fox, and healer had left for the Spirit World, watching a bit of a scuffle with the detective and Nishi. The detective had seen the bite Hiei accidentally left on her neck and teased her for it. Nishi was quick to smack him in retaliation.

The detective also had offered to bring her with him and the oaf in their own hunting party, but in her annoyance with him over his teasing, she refused. Hiei would have preferred she went with them rather than scouting for the clan's squad. Bar himself and the large demon, both the detective and the oaf were stronger than the other clansmen. If she did something stupid, they would better assist her.

Yet she refused the detective and stayed with the clan's squad. The detective then made a wager with her to see who could kill and bring back more doxies today. She took his wager wholeheartedly. After the oaf gave her a hint as to where to scout, she then charged into the woods in eagerness to hunt.

Now that was when both she and the large demon started their own quarrel for the day. Enraged at how she charged off into the woods before the rest of the squad was ready to go, he chased her down and chastised her. Hiei followed after them, catching their conversation midway.

"...you cannot just going charging into the woods like this like a fool," the large demon had growled at Nishi.

Next to him, she was diminutive, but she had no plans to listen to him scold her like a child. "I'm scouting today, I'm supposed to go out ahead of everyone else."

"Half of the squad are not ready yet. So running out like you did was a foolish thing to do. If you got into trouble, not everyone would be able to help you," the large demon had hissed.

Nishi had looked over to where Hiei had been standing near them and softened her tone with the large demon, but had did not dull her words' bite: "We are still very close to the castle. The doxies would not risk coming so close to it. Even you're not that foolish." Hiei had come over and stood next to her as she spoke. She had cast him a wary side glance, but did not step away from him. "Besides, if anything bad did happen and I couldn't handle it, clearly you and Hiei could be next to me in no time at all."

The large demon snarled down at her, trying his best to keep his temper at bay with her. "So it would be better to abandon the others and save you when you fuck up, is that it? They're not as strong as you believe you are?" Nishi stood up straighter, though Hiei could tell she was skittish now. "That will not happen because you are not that foolish. You will stay with the squad, keep within a distance that everyone can cover, and you will do what I say when I say it." Nishi had not responded to him.

Hiei stepped between the two of them, facing Nishi. He stood intimately close to her. He sensed the large demon distance himself physically from the two of them. Nishi scowled at the large demon. Hiei grabbed her hands, holding them tightly. Her attention shifted down to him, gaze softening when it turned on him.

He began to question her about the hunting, when he would much rather kiss her. "How many doxies are left?"

"Two," she responded steadily.

"What is the clearest sign that they are nearby?" he pressed.

"Freshly scratched up trees at about knee height," she said. "They would be wet and smell, like, well, like the wood. It's how they sharpen their claws."

He asked a few more questions. Each one she answered correctly.

When he finished asking her questions, she asked him one of her own. "Why are you so scared?" He went to drop his hold on her hands, but she tightened her grip, not letting him let go. She looked down at him, holding his gaze.

"Because he can't trust you not to follow orders," the large demon cut in.

Nishi's face darkened at the sound of the large demon's words. Her grip on his hands tightened so much that it hurt. She bent her head down and kissed him openly on the mouth. He froze in response to her bold action right in front of the large demon. He did not like that the large demon was witnessing this, but he did not care. He went to bring his hands up to pull her closer, but she held his hands down, refusing to let him go.

The rest of the squad had flitted up to where they were at that point. Nishi wordlessly pulled her face away, letting his hands go slowly. Nishi had looked over at them when they wandered about.

"Is that clear?" the large demon had asked to Nishi to command back her attention.

"Quite so," Nishi responded. Her voice had rung with a hint of challenge and defiance.

That echoed defiance fed into her scouting. She kept ranging farther and farther from where the squad the was. So far that her voice crackled as she reported what she saw, heard, and sensed. When the large demon tried to order her to stay closer, she would go farther. The large demon tried to get Hiei to intervene, but he refused. He had picked this fight with her, so now he could deal with it.

The last time she would have been able to go out scouting, she pushed the distance to a new length; one and a half times the distance set by the large demon. The large demon was seething about it mentally. He tried to demand Hiei to ordered her back, but Hiei ignored him. He set her off, so he had to deal with it.

Hiei did not like how far she was very much either. She was too far away. It was truly difficult to be in her mind with her so far away. Over the ear pieces, her voice was static-y and crackly. She was being arrogant and showing off passive aggressively.

The large demon growled, "air scout, you are ranging too far again. At least three times the usual distance, if not more. Come back, let us move closer to you, and then you can go out and scout again."

Hiei knew the second Nishi came back, the large demon would call the hunting off for the day and would order them all back to the castle. Nishi would protest, but the large demon would everything in his power to drag her back to the castle. And she would put up a fight. Her behavior then would likely spoil the night for the two of them.

"Just a little bit more," Nishi snapped back. "This area has a lot of marked up trees. The marks are freshly made, green and wet to the touch." She neared the L shaped bend of the cliff side. The one the oaf pointed out to her to hunt near. "There's a corner in the cliff that would be good for herding them to escape if we could get them into there."

Those marks were indeed fresh, as Hiei saw in her mind. The marks made him wary as they had more or less seemed to radiate from the cliff. Like a territorial marking. He started to regret letting the oaf give her a hint about where to scout.

She was determined to find the doxies and win her bet with the detective. Her pride would be wounded if they returned empty handed. The oaf's hint as to where to look and she was damned as hell to keep by the cliff he pointed out because it was her best chance to scout out the doxies.

The large demon let loose an exacerbated sigh, "that's great. Now. Come back."

Nishi kept moving. That movement was the beginning of all the trouble that followed. She heard the last two doxies they were looking for. She heard them laughing.

At the sound of the doxies' laughter, she froze, feeling a mix of thrill and apprehension. She dropped to the ground as silently as she was able and crawled towards the sound when she would have rather run far away. She stopped crawling once she had the two doxies in her sights. Both of them were picking the remaining bits of flesh from the bones of a rodent they had eaten by the looks of it. Hiei could sense Nishi's sudden desire to retch at the sight.

She had seen them. Now she needed to report it, come back, and the whole squad could go after them together. The last two doxies they needed to kill. When the whole squad got there, Hiei planned to break off from the group, track down the doxy trainer, and kill him before the large demon could even think to stop him.

Nishi barely breathed when she spoke, "I found them... two dox-"

The large demon perked up instantly. "What are they doing?" he asked, his voice dripping with eagerness.

Nishi squirmed internally, having no desire to speak. She was frightened that the two doxies would hear her. "Uh... picking flesh off some bones. I think they caught a creature around the size of a dog or something."

The large demon waited on bated breath. Hiei saw in his mind that he was suddenly hopeful that this could be the end. "How do they look?"

Disgusting was the first word that came to Nishi's mind. "They, or one of them, was laughing. I- they look relaxed, like they're full of.. whatever they ate." She gagged slightly.

The large demon was mentally battle ready in an instant. "That's good. That is really good. That means they might not be on guard and might be weary from being so full." In his mind, the fight was already over and those two remaining doxies were dead.

Nishi opened her mouth to respond, but shut it when she heard three snaps coming from the other side of the woods where the two doxies were. Hiei felt himself go on edge at the sound himself. Three snaps in rapid succession was not something that would normally be heard in the forest at random. The doxy trainer was there. He knew it.

Hiei went to stand, but half way up, the large demon grabbed his ankle and pulled him right back down. 'What do you think you're doing?' he questioned mentally.

'He's there,' Hiei responded with certainty. 'He's somewhere. He has to be close.'

'You don't know that for sure,' the large demon countered, even though he did not believe his own words.

Hiei had not been focused on Nishi when he suddenly heard her gasp. He went back into her mind and saw a third doxy had appeared as from nowhere. It flew straight ahead, right into the doxy in front of Nishi, and began to wrestle with it. Nishi panicked, almost thinking it was heading straight for her.

Nishi had been quiet for too long for the large demon's liking. "Air Scout..." he hissed her call sign out. "Air Scout, what's going on now?... Air Scout!"

"Three," she choked out.

The large demon shot a glance towards Hiei. "What do you mean three!?" He pulled his hand away from Hiei's ankle.

"There, three, there's three of them," Nishi fumbled.

"Na-ugh," he nearly slipped out her real name. "Three what?"

"Doxies," she whispered over the coms.

The large demon looked over at Hiei, half shouting at both of them. "There can't be three! There's can't be more than two! That's is impossible!"

Nishi cowered, covering her head with her hands. She was creeped out by the sight and confusion of the three doxies. She knew she should be crawling away or least watching them. She forced herself to look up and watch the nearest doxy near her crunch down on the bone it was... enjoying.

Hiei had stayed in her mind this whole time, watching through her peripheral vision while letting her cover her own main vision. "She's not lying. There are three. Two are wrestling. One is... eating."

The large demon roared, "how the hell do you know that?! Why isn't she reporting all this?!" He was mostly angry about not understanding why there were three doxies when there should only have been two.

Hiei explained, more so for Nishi's benefit, "remote viewing. She's too close to them to talk."

The large demon was seething on the ground, struggling to hold back his rage. "I don't- this, I don't like any of this." He paused, debating as to what to do about Nishi. "They are so close!"

Hiei watched out of the corner of Nishi's eye and saw a flash of light. That was must certainly not something naturally occurring. Hiei rolled to the left, out of reach of the large demon. After rolling twice, he rose up an sprinted away from the squad and in the direction Nishi, the doxies, and the doxy trainer was or had to be.

The large demon shouted after him mentally, 'what the hell are you doing?!' Thankfully he was cautious enough to do that mentally rather than out loud.

'He's there. He has to be,' Hiei thought back.

The large demon swore loudly out of sheer rage. "Get out of there now!" he ordered Nishi. "I don't care if they see you! I don't care if you give away our position. GET OUT NOW!"

Nishi did not need telling twice. Hiei watched from her mind as she crawled out back out of the bushes from whence she came. The three doxies saw her immediately, hissing and growling at her. As they faced her, she turned and looked at them with a sudden surge of confidence. The thought that ran through her head said she could take them because she was immune to doxy poison.

"Don't you dare!" Hiei shouted in the ear piece and in her mind. Three doxies could take her by surprise. One could distract and the other two could sneak up behind and go for the kill. The doxy trainer could appear from the trees and attack her during or after.

"Don't what? What is she thinking of doing?" the large demon's voice boomed. He was on the edge mentally, debating if he should follow after Hiei.

"She's thinking of attacking them," Hiei filled him in.

"Don't! Don't!" the large demon ordered her in panic. "You might be immune to the poison, but you are not immune to having your throat ripped out!"

Nishi faltered, deciding it best to finally listen and turn back. She turned around, pulled out her wings, and started to run away. She underestimated how fast the doxies were. One of the doxies charged at her, headbutted her in the back, threw off her balance, and knocked her to the ground. As she fell, she managed to twist in a way to lay on her back. The doxy that had charged her screeched and made to jump on her. Nishi and her dragon stopped it before it got the chance to tear her throat out or dig its claws in her. The doxy's drooled on her face, making Nishi groan loudly in disgust.

'What's going on?!' the large demon asked Hiei mentally. He was standing now, torn between wanting to chase after her and to stay put with the squad. Even if she were human, three doxies could do some damage.

"One of them is on top of her," Hiei explained aloud to the large demon. To Nishi, he advised, "don't forget about the other two!" The other two doxies were close. Hiei could not see where they were because she was not focused on them.

The large demon growled, "forget about the other two! Get out of there by any means necessary!"

Nishi was focused solely on the doxy on top of her. If this was a true doxy pack, the other two would have gone after her legs or face by now. That was so abnormal. She managed to get the doxy beneath her and her dragon snapped its neck with a sickening crunch.

"She killed it," Hiei sighed in relief. One less creature the doxy trainer could use on her. Even with two other doxies with him, he might think twice about attacking her.

"Fly now," the large demon half instructed, half begged.

Nishi backed away in disgust from the doxy she killed. She looked right up and screamed. Hiei saw what she saw in a delayed mental image. There were four doxies standing there in front of her, laughing as they stepped towards her. She took a few steps back and looked up. There were three doxies hovering above her.

Seven... Hiei picked up his pace. "She's surrounded."

The large demon motioned to the rest of the squad to stay put. He was running towards Nishi now. "Where did all these damn new doxies come from?!"

Nishi clenched her jaw, trying not to weep as she was certain she was going to die. 'I have to try,' she thought to herself. She wanted to escape one way or another, even though she doubted she would succeed. "Hiei, I love you," she breathed as her dragon's wings unfurled on her back.

'Just hold on, I'm coming,' Hiei thought to himself. Why did she have to scout so far? He could have kicked himself for letting her do that just to be a bitch to the large demon.

Nishi was fast for a human, but not fast enough. She was knocked down to her knees. Two doxies had her held down by her upper arms. A third doxy came up behind, yanking her hair at the base of her skull, and forced her to arch her neck upwards. It also gripped her dragon, holding it in place in its smaller form. Nishi panicked, trying to get away from them. Hiei sensed her cringe and recoil at the feeling of something else touching her dragon. It weakened her spiritually. The two doxies that held her subdued her by digging their claws into her upper arms. She cried out as her blood dripped down their nails. If she were a demon, that would have been a death sentence.

A fourth doxy in front of her sauntered up to her. It laughed in her face, licking its chops hungrily. The smell of her blood was so tempting to the creature. Nishi watched its approach, still trying to break free from the three doxies holding her in place. When it was right next to her, it snapped its jaws right by her upturned face, making her wince. The doxies that held her arms dug their nails deeper into her upper arms, making her cry out anew.

The doxy in front of her raised its claws up and scratched her diagonally across her face. She screamed, mostly out of panic that her eye would be damaged. From the doxy's mind, Hiei could tell the smell of her blood was so mouthwatering. The doxy snapped its jaws at her face again. Next, it ran its tongue across her face. While she was beyond disgusted, the creature was enthralled by the taste of her blood and wanted more.

Yet this doxy knew it was not supposed to kill her or seriously harm her. When Hiei relied that message to the large demon, it struck a note deep within him. The doxy trainer as a child enjoyed torturing small animals, trying not to let them die or injure them too greatly. The large demon was on the move now, running towards where Nishi was, trying to keep himself calm and focused.

Hiei turned his focus back on the doxy in front of Nishi. It snapped its jaws once more in her face. Next, it rested its teeth on her throat and gave her neck a small lick. Nishi winced, hardly breathing. Then it opened its jaws up wide, ready to snap them shut on her throat.

"No!" Hiei shouted, trying to sprint even faster.

"And... stop," a voice called out casually in front of Nishi.

The doxy that had scratched her backed away from her while the three doxies holding her arms and hair let go and backed away. Nishi took a second to wipe the blood out of her eye and off her face before she looked and saw the doxy trainer. The image of him reminded Nishi of the large demon. She incorrectly wondered if the doxy trainer was his son.

"Ichiro!" Hiei named him.

Using Nishi's mind to create a bridge, he saw the doxy trainer's excitement to see her. He originally planned to draw out and entrap the large demon like he did here with Nishi, but once one of his doxies reported seeing Nishi with his younger brother's knife, he changed him mind. Nishi became his target. He planned to first torture her and then let the doxies have at her. The more pitiful she would be, the longer he would toy with her, so long as no one was close enough to ruin his plan and save her. He did not know much about her, or Hiei for that matter, but he knew the large demon. Killing Nishi while the large demon had to listen in over the ear pieces would be a detrimental blow to the large demon mentally. The doxy trainer planned to let him know he was going to kill her slowly because of the large demon.

"How the fuck-" the large demon cursed. "Please tell me she's free from the doxies-"

"Ye-"

"Get out of there now!" the large demon roared to Nishi. "You're in even more danger than before!" The doxy trainer had already won in a way. The large demon was in his own mental panic, worried just what the doxy trainer would do to her.

Hiei mentally relayed the doxy's trainer's plan to the large demon, which made him cringe and shutter.

The doxy trainer knew he had struck a nerve with the large demon. He knew the large demon had a protective nature from when he was a child. Her death would wound and enrage him. "Come now cousin. How dangerous can I really be? To a woman?" the doxy trainer teased.

Nishi stayed still on the ground, wary of both of the doxies and the doxy trainer in front of her. She was shiftily looking around though as to a way out if she needed it. "How do you know what he's saying?" she asked hesitantly.

The doxy trainer laughed disturbingly down at her. She steeled her nerves, not letting herself flinch in the doxy trainer's presence. "Did no one notice Hotaka had lost his ear piece early on in this mission? He's been using a spare one for days! It helped me keep my pets out of reach while I planned my next move."

Hiei felt himself pale when he checked the coward's mind for confirmation. The coward had lost his ear piece the last time the squad had encountered doxies. He stole on of the now dead squad member's ear piece when no one was looking. Hiei relayed that information to the large demon, enraging him even more.

The large demon ran faster, fueled by his rage. "Hotaka! You are a dead man!"

'Get your ear pieces out, now. Everyone,' Hiei ordered the squad. 'And stay where you are.' They might give away the fact that he and the large demon were on the move. Or they might end up hearing something truly mad. He watched them in his mind's eye to see they had all done it, and then he ignored them; redoubling his focus on getting to Nishi.

All the while, the doxy trainer was monologuing in his madness; taunting the large demon and frightening Nishi. "I was going to wait a little while longer, until you all reached the point of exhaustion, and then unleash the six doxies I hid away from you. Making an easy slaughter for them."

The doxy trainer began to circle around Nishi like a predator. She was afraid, but forced herself to stay still and to stay calm. She was watching on bated breath for an opportunity to escape. The doxy trainer knew she was doing that too. He flicked his wrist. The doxies began to laugh on command. The sounds sent shivers down her spine. She stopped looking for an escape and covered her hands over her ears.

The doxy trainer continued, "it took forever for me to figure out if I killed the pack leaders, then the others might then chose to follow me."

He had spend all those years in exile planning this revenge; using his knack to train animals to get doxies, one of the most lethal poison demon beasts, to do his bidding. Too bad none of the beasts turned on him and bit him instead. One bite or scratch would kill any demon in this world.

The doxy trainer felt a surge of rage. "But then those two other nuisancy humans came along, discovere four of the original doxies and killed two of them while myself and the other two were scouting to ambush you all."

The doxy trainer had seen humans before. Weak ones; none like the detective, oaf, or Nishi. He had tortured them as well, genuinely curious about how weak they were. The doxies did enjoy the taste of them. So it was enraging to him that the detective and oaf managed to kill two others while he and the doxies he had had with him found this cliff area to set an ambush. He growled and stomped his foot angrily near Nishi.

Nishi had pulled her hands from her ears, bringing them to rest on her knees. She was ready to stand and run away. Only her left arm twitched slightly, giving her nerves away. The doxy trainer enjoyed the sight of it.

"Do you know how long it took me to train fifteen doxies to do my bidding?! I had to kill a great deal of them that tried to kill me!" The memory of a doxy nearly tearing his own throat out in his sleep stirred his anger. It stepped on a twig, snapping it and waking him up. He barely managed to kill it before it killed him. "Then I was so close to finishing my revenge against you, cousin, for my exile. I had to change my plan!"

His plan changed; his target changed. From the large demon, whom this trap was originally laid for, to Nishi. Nishi became his target because the large demon armed her with his late brother's knife. The knife that should have belonged to him. Nishi's torture and death was meant to be a punishment for that move.

Nishi, trying to hold back her panic for so long, felt like she could not. The doxy trainer saw her legs twitch, giving her imminent plan to run. He had still been circling her. The second the doxy trainer walked past the front of her, she started to bolt. The doxy trainer, ready for that, shoved her to the ground before she could even get her hand off the ground. She was on the ground now, and stayed there. Stayed still, but let a fearful whimper escape past her lips. He saw 'his' knife sheathed on her hip. He tapped it with his toe.

"Did you know this whore wear my little brother's knife? A whore's knife on another whore's hips. It made her my next target instead of you, Hayate. Don't worry though, you're next. I decided to wait for a day where where this whore would go scouting so I could draw her far enough away to kill her. She fell right into my trap perfectly. I drew her further and further away from the rest of you."

The doxy trainer kicked her leg with calculated force. Enough to hurt her, but not to wound her. A warning at the pain to come.

The large demon was drawer closer to Hiei now, trying to fly low enough to the trees that when they reached Nishi, he would not be spotted until the last moment. 'I didn't arm her to make her a target,' he thought solemnly. 'I armed her to give her an added layer of protection.' He flew a little higher so he could fly faster. The doxy trainer's words cut deep. "Nanashi, run," he shouted aloud to her. She still had her ear piece in.

The second she raised her upper body up, the doxy trainer brought his foot down hard on her lower back, knocking her to the ground. Not hard enough to break bones, but definitely hard enough to bruise. Her jaw smacked the ground, making her bite her tongue accidentally. The doxy trainer was disappointed that she made no reaction or sound to being kicked down. He held his foot down on her upper back, keeping her in place. She lay completely still beneath him, hardly breathing. He applied all of his weight on her back; slowly, evenly, and carefully of course, so not to break her back. A freshly crippled person was no fun to torture when they could only feel half the pain. Her unresponsive willfulness irked him. He did not want her to be silent. Silence meant that the large demon would not hear her response to how much pain he inflicted.

The large demon silently roared at Hiei, 'I don't want to know what he's thinking or planning. Stop showing it to me!' Aloud to the doxy trainer, he challenged, "don't hurt her! Come to me and fight me like a man instead of hiding behind those beasts like a coward!"

The doxy trainer just laughed. He knew by the sound of the large demon's voice that he had struck a nerve. He was fearful for Nishi's safety. "And where would that be? Are you heading this way right now to rescue this poor little fool?" he taunted while digging his heal and grinding it into Nishi back. She would not respond.

The doxy trainer was debating mentally what to do. He considered killing Nishi right then because he was worried the large demon, the squad members, Hiei, or the other two strong humans, coming to try to rescue her to spoil his fun. He would have to kill her quickly and would not get to enjoy it. He also wanted to toy with her first. Break her spirit before she died so that when the doxies tore her apart, she would welcome it.

'Lie,' Hiei pressed the large demon. Nishi was also hopeful to be saved now. That's why she was being willful now, passive, silent, and resistant.

'What?' the large demon replied in confusion.

'Lie to him. Lie to her. Make her give up hope that you're- that we're coming,' he explained. 'The less hopeful she is and the less likely someone will come after her, the longer he'll toy with her. The longer he'll keep her alive. And we need more time to get to her.'

The large demon hated the idea, but followed it. "I... I'm still at today's base camp. If your clever enough to come find it, I'll give you the fight you deserve!"

To the doxy trainer, the large demon's words were not convincing, but Nishi's reaction to them was. She looked distraught, but was not surprised at his comment.

She laid beneath the doxy trainer's foot still, but with a weaker resolve. He laughed joyfully down at the sight of it. He dug his heel deeper into her back, angling it between two vertebrae, as that would be more painful than directly on a bone. She grimaced at the pain, but then she tried to use her dragon on him. When it went for his foot, he quickly it back and stomped on the small creature with surprising speed. He pinned its head down between his foot and her back. It sent a sickening feeling down into her stomach, making her want to throw up.

The doxy trainer did not like her action to retake control and attack him. He growled down at her, warning, "Put it away or I'll let the doxies have you. They're still demon who enjoy the taste of human flesh."

Nishi called it away in the moment he raised his foot back up. She was more focused on thinking the large demon was a liar, and less focused on escape now. She tried not to let it show on her face. Tried to look less emotional now. To be passively defiant because even if she could take the doxy trainer on, she knew she could not take seven other doxies by herself.

The doxy trainer kept his foot barely on her back, just enough for her know it was there. "You're not coming to her rescue?" he asked the large demon in half belief. "I never thought a man like you would be coward enough to abandon a damsel in distress." He brought the heel of foot up and then right back down on her back; on the right side where her ribs met her spine. When he twisted his foot with a bruising, near bone breaking force, her resolve to be silent and non-responsive broke.

She whimpered in pain and dug her fingers into the grass beneath her. "Save me, please," she begged the large demon. She regretted scouting so far away, letting herself get ensnared in a trap. All so she could be petty and defy the large demon's orders.

'Commit,' Hiei told the large demon. 'Lie better. If he doesn't believe you, he will kill her before we even have a chance to get there.'

The large demon did. "If she's foolish enough to get herself entrapped, then she'd better be smart enough to escape like I told her several times. I gave you an order. What are you waiting for?!" Mentally to Hiei, he commented, 'she'll hate me forever because of that lie.'

'She'll live to hate you. Her living is paramount,' Hiei replied back. 'Hold on,' he thought only to himself. 'I'm coming. Keep being unresponsive. Keep being silent. Keep frustrating him.' If he told her that mentally, she would be too hopeful for rescue. If she was hopeful, he would kill her before they got there. They had only covered half the distance. The needed more time to cover the remaining distance.

Nishi cracked at the large demon's words, much to the doxy trainer's amusement. Her shock at the large demon's said betrayal was written all over her face. He laughed heartily at her. "Now that I might believe cousin," he addressed the large demon. "You should see her face. Shocked and distraught barely begin to cover it. It's really quite amusing." He raised his foot up. She flinched at the thought of where he might strike her next. She was breaking, but she did not want to.

'I will kill him when we get there,' Hiei promised the large demon. 'Don't even try to stop me.' The large demon did not reply to that comment, unsure now if he should prevent that or not.

The doxy trainer quit egging on the large demon, but now turned his attention on Hiei. "And what about the hucker?"

'Son of a bitch,' Hiei thought to himself.

The doxy trainer raised his foot up and slammed it right back down again on her back; twisting sharply. She whimpered, telling herself not to try to crawl away.

The doxy trainer was enjoying how her resolve was slipping. "Come now little girl," he teased her. "Being mated to a demon, I'd expect your pain tolerance to be much higher than that."

Nishi's resolved slipped even more. "Hiei, please," she pleaded.

She was much too hopeful that Hiei was on his way, even if the large demon was not. And the doxy trainer could see it. He took his foot off of her, reached down, and grabbed her shoulder. She panicked, kicking and slapping at him all way trying to crawl back away from him. She was scared and she was shaken up by the large demon's lie. Her mind was off focused. He pin her down, this time on her back. He pinned her down with his foot on her sternum. He grounded his heel against her sternum, much to her discomfort and pain. She grabbed his ankle, uselessly trying to lift him off of her.

"Hiei," she whispered pitifully.

The doxy trainer had turned her over because he was about to let the doxies come and rip her apart.

'Lie!' the large demon told him. 'You said it yourself, her living is paramount.'

Hiei shoved all the malice he had for the doxy trainer into his voice, but directed his response to Nishi. "If you're not strong enough to help yourself, why should I save you?" He emphasized his words by not only saying them out loud, but also in her mind to cement its false meaning.

And she believed him. She thought about last night, this morning, and went from cracked to shattered. She could not believe him, and yet she could. She dropped her hold on the doxy trainer's ankle, almost completely not caring how much pain he was currently causing her. She almost welcomed it as she sobbed into her hands.

Pain felt like it ripped through his torso as he sensed what she felt. It made him slow down when he should have run faster.

"Yusuke," she pleaded. She doubted he above all people would just abandon him.

The doxy trainer laughed at her, enjoying her despair. He was about to decide that he would not quite kill her yet after all. "Is that one of the humans? I wonder where they could be?"

Hiei sensed for them. They were deep in the woods as well, too far away to even consider calling them in. Hiei and the large demon were closer.

To the doxy trainer, he lied, "those two went back to castle hours ago. Forgot their lunch and just never went out again."

The doxy trainer believed him. He believed the large demon as well. Part of him doubted still, but he blocked that thought, too excited that he got to have this 'little human' all to himself. Either no one was coming to get her or was too far away to save her like she hoped. He and the doxies did notice that Nishi was cold to him, so felt like it was easier to assume there was no love between the two of them. He wondered why a demon would to stoop so low to mate claiming a human. Maybe just out of desperate desire for a weak demon to find a strong mate. No demoness must have wanted him, so he took a human. He found it doubtful, but suppressed the doubt. He had a human to torture, whether or not the large demon actually cared like he previously thought. This could still be fun. He would enjoy killing her and then taking back the knife that was rightfully his.

Nishi on the other hand, gave up. "Hear that whore? Sounds to me like no one is coming to your rescue," the doxy trainer relished. She might not have been his original target, he could still have his fun with her in her abandoned, sorry state.

Nishi rolled over on her side in a ball. She felt crushed by weight of Hiei's words. She wished the doxy had ripped her throat out so she would never have had to hear him say that.

The large demon had caught up with Hiei at his slower pace. 'Speed up,' he ordered as he flew low enough to where he could shove Hiei forward. 'Hopeless is better than dead.' Hiei redoubled the pace, wanting to reach her now more than ever.

The doxy trainer looked down at her, smiling excitedly. Her skin crawled at the look of his face. He was going to see how long he could throw her around and strike her before she snapped out of her sorry state and started to fight back again. Her spirit was not broken yet, but it was nearly there. Killing the willful was no fun.

"In that case," he preempted.

He stepped right next to her curled up form. She did not move or respond in anyway. This time though, it was out of sorrow, not defiance. He could tell too. He picked her up by the shirt collar. She stayed limp, not even bothering to raise her head up. She let it lull instead.

He smiled at her downtrodden form. "Awe, don't look so hopeless, that's no fun. You had fight in you when my pet was at your throat. Where'd it go?"

He tossed her away. Bar bracing herself so she would not be seriously injured when she landed, she did not move after she landed. She was more willful and passive now than she had been a minute ago. She was frustrating the doxy trainer now.

He stepped over to her and picked her up once more, holding her up by the collar, heads aligned. He brought his hand underneath her chin, forcing her to raise her head up. Even with her head raised, she refused to open her eyes. She defiantly kept them shut because he wanted her to open them.

"Look at me," he ordered. He intentionally blew his breath all over her face. "Look at me or I'll kiss you."

Nishi panicked at that threat. A desire not to die arouse within her. She opened her eyes, blinking when it caused blood to get in her left eye from the doxy's scratch across her face. Most of the blood had clotted, but after being tossed about, part of the scratches had opened up. She was sad, but she did not want to die. A kiss from anyone but Hiei would kill her.

Nishi's eyes locked on the doxy trainer's defiantly. "Ah, so you're scared to cheat on your mate, even if he's left you for me to... play with. I haven't heard it been proven that infidelity could kill a human like it could a demon. Do you know if it's true?" He came up with an idea of how to break her. He was going to rape her.

Hiei ran faster, determined not to let that happen. He knew he was going to have to kill the doxies first, but after that, he was going to kill the doxy trainer.

The doxy trainer kept taunting her. "I wonder if they're even bothering to listen in anymore now that they've left you in my care?" He set her down on her feet and then shoved her down before him before she could catch her balance. "Did you know you were going to die today?"

'No, she's not,' Hiei thought to himself, feeling himself about to crack and shatter.

Nishi thought to herself the images of the twins, the detective, and Yukina. "No," she whispered resiliently.

The doxy trainer studied her. She had no idea what he was about to do to her. "Oh, so you would like to live after all?" She stared him down ruefully. She kept looking for a means of escape in her peripheral vision. He noticed and did not like it. He was bound and determined to break her. That desire was the only thing he was focused on in the moment. "In that case, I'll you a chance to live, in return for a small favor." He grabbed his cock from beneath his pants. She panicked, not sure what to do now.

'Fight him off,' Hiei thought only to himself. 'Refuse him. Stab him. Something.' They were so close. So very close. They were nearly there.

"You must know what you're doing if you've managed to get a demon to stoop to mate to you. If you suck me off like a good little girl, then I'll let you live," she paled before him. To the large demon, he raged, "This is an act after all I'm sure Hayate would approve considering you're a woman and not a man like my only lover. The one who rather mate claimed a woman than go into exile with me!"

Nishi only half understood what he was yelling about. The doxy trainer turned his attention back to Nishi. She was still looking for a way to flee. When the doxy trainer bent down and pulled her up straight on her knees by her hair. Nishi swore at him, slapping his hands.

"I could give you to my pets after all," he threatened.

Nishi glanced over at the doxies and shook her head involuntarily. They were waiting impatiently to taste her. Only one of them got to so far when it licked the blood off of her face. That one wanted to taste more of it.

"In that case," he stated before striking her across the face with the back of his hand. The strike made her check hurt and made her ears ring. A few spots on her face got wet with a few fresh drops of blood. "That's for any plans you have for biting me." He struck her again. "And that's for any plans you have to use your pet against me. Do anything like that and I will hold you down while my pets eat you alive." She was frightened, unsure what or how to stop what he wanted to do to her.

When the doxy trainer undid his pants and shouted at her to begin, Hiei felt himself shatter. He could not get there in time to save her. If she tried to escape, the doxies would kill her. She was going to die one way or another in less than a minute and there was nothing he could do about it.

He stopped running abruptly, dropping to his knees. There was no point anymore. He pulled his ear piece out and left her mind, not wanting to see or hear her final moments. He crushed ear piece in his hand, too numb to feel the pain.

The large demon was right next to him in an instant. The large demon half shoved him, half hauled him to his feet.

'Get up, she's not dead yet,' the large demon told him. 'I heard him screaming in the ear piece. I think she finally fucking attacked him.'

Hiei looked back in her mind, rapidly checking the events of the last minute. The minute she should have died.

When she was on her knees, her hand at her side accidentally brushed up against her knife's hilt. She did not think. She took a deep breath. When he grabbed her jaw to pull her mouth up, she saw an opening and took it. She drew the knife and stabbed the doxy trainer in the upper leg.

The doxy trainer had never expected it. He screamed out in rage, agony, and sheer surprise. He stumbled away from her, struggling to try to yank the knife out of his thigh. She jumped up and knocked him down. She had her dragon out as an ax, but stayed her hand, wary of the doxies nearby.

'Kill him!' Hiei thought silently, spurned to run now as fast as possible. They were almost there. The large demon figured just three of four minutes. She just needed to keep alive until then. 'In two minutes, you need to fly me up to the top of the cliff,' he instructed the large demon. 'I need to be up high to sick my dragon on the doxies. High enough to target them without risking Nanashi.' He kept the rest of the plan to himself. If Nishi did not kill the doxy trainer first, then he was going to.

Nishi did not get a chance to kill the doxy trainer though. She had him spooked for a change. Never had a human he toyed with ever manage to attack him. He thought she was being passive because she was weak compared to demons. That her speed was all she had going for her.

He hated her for it. "Kill her!" he ordered the doxies. He just wanted her dead, broken spirit or not.

Nishi went to attack him, but the doxies got in her way. She backed away from him in order to get out of the way of the doxies. One was fine, but she knew she could not take on seven at once.

She backed up, swinging her ax wildly. She managed to cut one done, but the other six backed her into the L shaped corner of the cliff. She felt completely trapped. She regretted not running immediately after she stabbed him.

She swung her ax back and forth, but the doxies were wary about that. One of them managed to get around her ax and bit her deeply on her right forearm. She screamed in pain. With her arm injured like that, she would not be able to swing her ax. She opted instead to make her dragon as big as possible to defend her. It rounded on the doxy that bit her, chomped down on its torso, and threw it away from her. Next, it roared and nashed its teeth at the doxies. The doxies were frightened of her dragon, hesitant to go after her because of it.

Hiei and the large demon were almost there. One minute to get around the side of the cliff where the doxy trainer or the doxies would not be able to see them.

The doxy trainer watched the scene after managing to yank the the knife out of his leg. He had hastily bound his wound with the bottom of his shirt, but he was still bleeding heavily, soaking the makeshift bandage. He was looking forward to her death now more than ever.

He yelled at her, "how long can you keep that up for?! How long before they're picking your flesh from their fangs!" He used a tree to pull himself up from the ground. He was going to be so easy to cut down. "You're still dead! You can't fly away while he's defending you and from what I've seen, the doxies will have you pinned down and torn apart before you can fly off!"

Hiei and the large demon had reached the cliff. The large demon picked him up and flew him to the top of the cliff. 'Stay out of the way,' he warned the large demon.

He left Nishi's mind, focusing on summoning up his own dragon. The last time he used it, it wanted to kill her. dragon He would have to keep it from hurting her or her dragon too. It would require intense focus.

When he had his dragon under control, he summoned it and sicked it on the six doxies surrounding her. "Black Dragon Hellfire!"

His dragon charged straight for where the doxies and Nishi were. It went after the doxies first, as he intended, burning all of them into charged piles of bones. Next, it rounded on Nishi, recalling its hatred for her dragon.

"Not her!" Hiei ordered, releasing his dragon and letting it fly back up to the sky. Once he let it go, a wave of exhaustion rolled over him. He shook his head, trying to stave off the desire to fall asleep then and there.

From his vantage point on top of the cliff, he saw first Nishi collapse to the ground, but alive. He turned his gaze onto the doxy trainer. He saw the large demon with him, fighting him verbally and physically.

The large demon was not about to take this kill away from him. "Hayate!" he shouted, jumping from the cliff.

When he reached the ground, he tucked and rolled. He charged towards the pair of fighters, vision going bright red. He drew out his sword, solely focused on the doxy trainer and closing the distance between the two of them.

"Hiei!" Nishi screamed his name.

He took his eyes off the doxy trainer, turning his head to look back at, and then felt it. A sharp pain shot up his leg. Followed shortly by the sensation of razor like claws tearing down his inner thigh. He looked down, seeing a nearly dead doxy on his leg. He shook it off and decapitated it.

He heard Nishi shouting, but had no idea what she was saying. He collapsed to the ground and started clawing at his leg. He was dead. In minutes, maybe an hour if he was lucky.

And then the pain hit him...


	120. Chapter 120

'My child,' a sweet voice called from behind him. 'Turn around. Run from the pain. You won't survive this toxin,' the voice determined. The voice was familiar. It offered relief. He did not turn around.

"No, no, no," Nishi's voice pleaded in front of him. Her voice offered her, but offered the pain as well. It was a miserable, but easy choice. He had to live. He could not see her, but he wanted to. She was right there, but he could not get his eyes to open.

'Leave me alone,' he growled at the voice behind him. He could feel Nishi holding him. He felt pain like thick acid spreading slowly from his left leg up towards his torso.

'My child, there is too much pain for you to bare. She'll understand,' the voice soothed. 'Your brother will explain everything to her.'

'Shut up,' he snapped back at the voice. 'I'm not dying today. Go away!' He knew he knew the voice behind him, but he could not place it.

"Please, no," Nishi said.

The pain was getting worse. He would not let it drive him into death. He felt... colder... unnaturally so. And so tired...

'Just turn around my child, that's all you have to do,' the voice suggested. 'Save yourself the hour or so of pain coming your way.'

He could not hear Nishi, and could barely feel her holding him. He did not want to die. 'I want to live,' he determined. 'Why don't you get the poison out of me if your so concerned.'

'Oh, how I wish I could,' the voice soothed.

He felt the temptation to turn around starting to overwhelm him. That was when he smelled it. A promised kick that could save his life.

He was able to open his eyes just enough to see Nishi's wrist, freshly cut right in front of him. He grabbed her hand and forearm, pulling it towards his mouth. He drank greedily from her blood, half worried about the possibility she might still have viable doxy poison in her blood. But it was better than nothing. He wanted to live and this was a chance for him to do that.

'My child, this will not make your life last much longer. Let her go and turn around,' the voice instructed.

Hiei was unable to answer the voice with his mouth on Nishi's wrist. He knew he was wrong, but he decided the voice was Mukuro's. Just like he decided Mukuro must be the one from the curse after all. Defiantly, he bite down as hard as he could on Nishi's wrist, even though he could tell it was painful for her. If Mukuro, or whoever it was, wanted him to turn around and die, then she would have to force him to do it.

He wanted to drink more, but he felt someone force him to let Nishi go. Just as well, he probably took too much for her to handle. The pain was still there, seeping through his body, but less noticeable.

To the voice behind him, he said, 'if you want to make yourself useful, get your soul out of Nishi, get out Mukuro. Get out of her.'

He then felt his dragon return to his mind and soul. It was raging at him, pulling him into a black and languid, but not deadly, unconsciousness. At least it let him be lucid. It was black an gray around him. He knew the pain was there, but he did not feel it anymore.

'I leave you alone for five minutes, I killed doxies for you, and you let one bite you!' his dragon raged at him. He could see it floating in the 'sky' in front of him.

'I told you to kill them all, and you missed one,' he countered.

'You did not tell me that one was alive,' the dragon argued. 'It laid on the still on the ground. You were in your mate's mind, you should have seen it was still living.'

'I was too busy trying to stop you from turning on her,' Hiei recalled.

'Not her, her dragon,' his dragon seethed. 'That creature is an abomination. Created to destroy demons. It's what should be destroyed.'

'If it's destroyed, Nishi's soul would be as well. You'll not kill her,' he determined.

'Just knock her down when she gets in the way of your goals?' his dragon cut.

Hiei stared his dragon, not dignifying that with a response. He changed the subject with a question. 'Why don't I feel pain anymore? I'm still alive.'

His dragon stirred above him. 'I'm shielding your mind and spine from the doxy poison. That includes the pain. I'll keep you from being damaged seriously from it, but you'll only survive a few more hours because of it.' Hiei felt his blood run cold at that news. 'It'll buy time for that doctor's vaccine to kill the parasitic poison in your blood stream. But if he doesn't figure it out by morning, you're dead... And if that happens, I expect you to release me before that happens. I will not die with you.'

Hiei felt his throat go dry. Less than half a day if he was lucky. He recalled watching the large demon's cousin's death. That and how the doctor failed to save him in his last minutes. He did not feel very hopeful. 'I want to live,' he insisted.

His dragon growled, pulling him out of his morbid thoughts. 'I need to let you wake up for a few minutes. Your mate wants to give you more blood. You will feel pain while conscience. I will pull you back if too much poison gets at your mind.'

Once Hiei was thrown back into consciousness, the first thing he noticed was the pain. It had spread to ever inch of his body, burning, acidic, electric. Next was the feeling of Nishi's slit wrist pressing down on his mouth firmly and wetly. It was barely a distraction from his pain. He opened his mouth wider, letting more of her blood slip down his throat. He set his teeth on her wrist, trying to keep any of her blood from slipping from his mouth. He tried to bring his hands up to hold her arm, but the pain that shot up from his hands and forearms was so severe, he dropped them. The pain was starting to get unbearable. He to open his eyes to see her, but even that hurt beyond imagining. His vision was nothing but blurry colors.

His dragon sensed it and pulled him back into his lucid, black and gray unconsciousness. He rounded on his dragon insistently, 'Let me back. I didn't see her. I want to see her.'

His dragon shook his head in the air. 'If you do that and the pain overwhelms you, that bird reaper I chased away might return for you.'

'What are you talking about?' he asked his dragon. 'What bird reaper?'

In odd response, his dragon roared in nightmarish fury. 'Get out of him!' Hiei watched him, baffled. He saw, of all things, Nishi's dragon appear, smaller and slimmer than his dragon. 'Leave his mind or I will destroy you,' his dragon threatened. The way he snarled was enough proof that he was just waiting for an excuse.

Her dragon bowed low to his dragon, but kept its guard up. He addressed Hiei respectfully, 'my mistress and I want to help you. Should you wish it, I can go through your blood stream and consume the doxy poison in it. She's had me do this before. To save Kurama's life and her own.'

During her dragon's last sentence, Hiei caught a glimpse of Nishi assisting Kurama to pull the death plant out of his blood stream during the Dark Tournament. Then he saw Nishi when she fell ill from the virus unleashed by the crazy spirit detective's doctor and her dragon forced her unconscious so it could consume the virus within her.

'Do it!' Hiei jumped to reply. It was an opportunity to live and he was going to take it.

His dragon roared, now down at him. 'How dare you let this creature touch you.' It's voice was dripping with anger and jealousy. 'It was made to kill. It's purpose is to kill demons.'

'I want to live!' he shouted at his dragon. 'So back off!'

Her dragon kowtowed lower to his dragon. 'I will stay out of his mind and only in his blood.'

'Accept it,' Hiei ordered his bristling dragon. 'Or else if I die, I will not release you from my service. You will be forced to die with me.'

His dragon snarled, but consented at that threat. It did not want to die with him. 'You stay out of his mind,' it hissed at the her dragon. 'I will protect his mind, you help that doctor's vaccine kill the parasites.'

'Yes, brother,' her dragon consented before disappearing from view.

His dragon gave a rumble under its breath, but said no more.

Hiei felt a sudden surge of energy and power when her dragon hit his blood. The intensity of it was palpable. With it came a unique chance to look into Nishi's mind, even though he could not communicate mentally with her while being unconscious.

He entered her mind.

He saw her listen to the confession from the large demon about the doxy trainer and how Hiei and the large demon had lied to her to make her hopeless so they could by time to save her. She fixated on the doxy trainer's exile and the injustice of it. She called the large demon and his late father cowards for it. The large demon stormed off in response to her words. Little did she know, she was challenging him to a fight for calling him a coward. At least according to the clan's customs. Maybe she could dodge that being an outsider to the clan. That was not an important problem right now... He would deal with it later, when he could stay conscience.

When Hiei tried to enter use her mind to bridge into the large demon's, but found he could not. He tried to go into the doctor's mind, but found he could not do that either; neither directly nor indirectly.

'While I'm guarding your mind, you won't be able to enter into anyone else's mind,' his dragon explained. 'You can only enter her mind because her dragon is in your system.'

So he did. He knew she would dislike it more or less, but he did it anyway. He sensed how wired she was from the adrenaline shot the doctor gave her. He saw her trying not to think about what happened to her with the doxy trainer. The doctor tried to get her to talk about what happened, but she ignored him. When he started being insistent, she snapped at him, telling him to shut up. Yet then when he told he was going to step out to get something to eat, she begged him to stay with her. He did, sending for a staff member to bring them both food. She would not eat though.

After two hours of her dragon in his blood killing the doxies, the doctor insisted she take a break. The doctor told her to take ten minutes, but she only took five.

When she sat back down and her dragon went back into his blood stream, he saw just how haunted she was. She had just cleaned off the blood on her face, arms, and wrist. The doctor had healed her bruises and wounds, but she was shaken up mentally.

Yet she had not broken down from it, shaken, but still whole. His lie had shattered her, but she picked herself right back up and kept fighting. He had been broken by it though. He had really thought she was going to die when she was on her knees before the doxy trainer. Her resilience was impressive to say the least. How did she do it...? How did she stay so strong? She was exhausted, but promised herself she would stay awake until Hiei was completely free of the doxy poison. All she wanted right now was for him to live. She promised herself she would deal with everything else later.

She also really wanted to see the twin, or Yukina, or the detective, but would not leave Hiei's side or let the children see him like this.

Nearly another hour had passed. Soon after, the detective and oaf came knocking. Hiei saw from within her mind how glad she was to see the detective. Their reaction to how the two of them looked made her eyes water.

The oaf broke the silence first, "damn, is he going to be okay?"

The detective spoke softly, "you look worse than I thought you would."

Nishi knew she was a mess. She wished she had the hair brush she forgot in the bathroom. Nishi felt like she could not speak, even though she really wanted the detective to stay with her.

The doctor spoke for her, "he was scratched and bit, but with a combination of medicine, her wind dragon, and his immune system, to fight off the poison. He is getting better, but has yet to fully regain conscienceness."

His answer was close enough to the truth. Although her dragon had figured it out that the doctor's vaccine was useless. Nishi was his only chance to survive. She did not have the heart to tell the doctor his vaccine failed.

The detective asked, "is that why blondie is so angry?"

"What did he do?" Nishi asked hollowly. She could sense the detective staring at her really hard, but she would not look at him.

"Well... We ran into the others when we were coming back to the castle," the detective explained. "They, uh, told us what had happened... and such... and he came along and decked one of the guys in the face, knocking him out. He is still out cold."

"Hotaka?" she asked, not looking at him.

She saw the detective nod out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah, that's the one."

She ran her hand through her hair. The greasy knots and tangles made her crave a decent shower and a hair brush. "Where's Hayate now?"

The detective shook his head. "Last we saw him, after knocking that Hotaka guy out, he was charging off into the woods."

Nishi shook her head, not wanting to deal with this. "If he comes back, let me know." She started to feel her spirit energy was low.

The detective came towards her, commenting, "you look like you could use a cup of coffee." She could tell he was studying both her and Hiei. She felt so uncomfortable.

"I could use some more energy," she murmured. "And a hair brush."

She looked back down at Hiei, taking his left hand in her left hand. When the detective brought his hand on her upper back, she jumped in panic. His touch reminded her of when the doxy trainer kept stomping on her back.

The detective pulled his hand away. "Chill jumpy." He put his hand back down on her back. She tried to suppress the desire to shove his hand away. "You did say you wanted more energy eh?" He transferred some of his spirit energy into her. It re-energized her and her dragon. "There, that should be enough," he commented.

"Thank you," she said numbly. She looked up at the detective, asking "hair brush?" She nodded towards the bathroom.

He went and got her her hair brush, tossing it over to her on the bed. It hit Hiei's leg. He murmured her nickname in his sleep without realizing he did it. It was odd to see himself through her eyes. Even odder to hear his own voice through her ears and mind. She hoped in vain that he would wake up after that, but he did not.

"Sorry," he shrugged down at her. She looked down at the hair brush on the bed and up at the detective expectantly with a shy smile. "I'm not doing it for you."

She pouted at him, picking up her brush. She clumsily brushed her hair with her left hand, finding it odd to use her non-dominant hand, considering her right hand was occupied with being placed over his Jagan eye so her dragon could be inside of him. Her hair brush hit her hair tie. She sat the hair brush down, ripping out the hair tie before tackling the tangled mess that was her hair. As she brushed her hair, she wondered when the last time she had cut it and if Hiei liked it long. In his own mind, he nodded.

The oaf broke her out of her reverie. "Hey, so uh, what about that woman in the entry way?"

Nishi's head snapped up. "What woman?"

"Oh yeah," the detective remembered. "This hot woman in a black, green, and gold kimono showed up about ten minutes after Hayate left." Nishi felt her blood grow cold. She did not want to deal with some stranger right now. She had an inkling that it might be the mate. "She has two women and a man with her as like a guard or something. Those men, minus the unconscious one, got down on their knees and bowed to her. When we told her blondie had run off, she asked for you to come see her immediately. Ordered us to come up here and get you."

That was definitely the mate. Nishi asked, "is she short, with dark skin and long black hair?"

"Yeah, why, you know her?" the detective confirmed.

Nishi grumbled under her breath. She did not want to deal with her right now. She just wanted Hiei to live and then to sleep into oblivion for a few hours. "Don't let her touch you, whatever you do. That's Hayate's mate Minha. What is she doing here? She can't know the mission was done so fast..."

The detective asked her, "why can't she touch us?"

Nishi looked up at him and answered, "two bare hands on bare flesh and she can curse you irrevocably." She thought about Hiei's curse from the mate, wondering herself how she could not be the one from the curse.

"She's a witch?" he checked.

Nishi figured 'bitch' was better word to describe her, but she kept that to herself. "Kind of." Beyond warning them of the mate's powers, she stayed closed lipped about what Hiei's connection to the mate, the large demon, and the whole clan. If Hiei wanted to share that with the detective or the oaf or anyone else, he could do it himself. She was not comfortable spilling his secrets.

Nishi tensed up when she heard the bedroom door open up. Of all the people, the beauty walked in, right in front of the mate. Nishi probably did not pick up on it, but the beauty sized up the lot of them in the room up quickly and cautiously, and then relaxed.

"Kind of what?" the mate said, stepping around the beauty. "You took too long," she said with a frown at the detective and oaf. To the doctor, she added, "who are you?"

The doctor sleepily grouched, "a doctor."

"What are you doing here?" Nishi asked the mate, feeling a little bit safer when she noticed she had gloves on. Hiei did not want the mate to touch anyone, so than neither did she.

The mate huffed at Nishi, but Hiei could tell through Nishi's eyes that she was watching him. "The mission was taking way too long. And I missed my mate. Where is he anyway?" She wrinkled her nose at Hiei. "What happened to him?" Underneath that haughty gaze, he could she looked concerned though.

Nishi felt a flare of protectiveness arise in her. "He was bit and scratched by a doxy. One of the ones Ichiro trained to attack. As for Hayate, I called him a coward and he took off." She felt slightly proud at how shocked the mate and the beauty were by what she said.

The mate turned to the beauty, "Ayane, go find Kaede and Rina and the punishment squad. Tell everyone to go and find Hayate and bring him back here to me." The beauty's guard was back up, even Nishi noticed that in her sleep deprived state. "I'll be fine, Ayane," she said with an eye roll. The beauty gave the room a quick scan, turned to the mate, and bowed to the mate.

Once the beauty walked away, the mate approached the bed and Nishi. She tugged off her right glove.

"What are you doing?" the doctor asked her steadily.

The mate acted like she did not hear the doctor. When she stood before Nishi, close by Hiei's left leg, the oaf stepped over to her. Protectively, he grabbed her right elbow, halting her movements. From what Nishi could see, the mate was scowling at him.

The oaf explained, "Nanashi said not to let you touch anyone."

The mate stared at him ruefully. "I'm a healer. I'm just trying to see if this doctor did his job right. I can't bless with one hand."

The oaf looked at Nishi, trying to figure out what he should do. Nishi shook her head, not trusting the mate, even though she could not bless Hiei a second time.

"Sorry," the oaf said, trying to pull the mate away from Nishi. "You're still not touching him."

The mate tugged her way out of the oaf's grip. She turned her harsh gaze on Nishi, saying, "just remember you refused my help."

Nishi locked eyes with the mate and refused to blink first. She realized how much they had in common; stubbornness, experienced miscarriages, and unloved by both mates in the beginning. They eventually were loved by their mates though; strongly and deeply.

Nishi also recalled how the mate tried to ruin her matehood with Hiei because she did not end up getting the demon king title. While she did feel plain looking next to the mate, she did not let it intimidate her. She reached down and grabbed Hiei's hand. She meant it as a nonverbal warning that he was hers, not matter what the mate tried to do. He felt a stir of pride at Nishi's actions. Damn right he was hers.

"Why are you here?" Nishi asked the mate, weary of her presence.

The mate softened her tone. "Like I said, I missed my mate and wanted to see how the mission was going." She looked down at Hiei forlornly. "You may not experience any longing when your mate is absent over a long distance because you are human, but I do. And I wasn't going to put up with anymore."

Nishi watched her carefully, feeling like she should not take pity on her, but did so anyway. Too tired to deny her. The large demon and the other squad members could keep her in check. "Keep those gloves on. Touch no one here. And you can stay with the other men.

The mate pulled her gloves back on, asking, "and what about my guard?"

Nishi consented, "they can stay as well. So long as you don't piss me off again."

"Thank you," the mate said demurely. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find my mate," she added longingly.

The mate left the room in a huff. "Well, she's a piece of work," the detective commented.

"You should see her when she's angry," Nishi murmured. She felt so run down, wanting just to lay down and sleep. But she wanted Hiei to wake up first. Then she wanted to sleep into oblivion, and wake up with no memories of happened with... him...

She could feel the eyes of the detective watching her carefully. Nishi shrank back, not wanting to look at him. "Hey doc, why don't you take a break," the detective suggested. "You and Kuwabara can get some coffee or tea or something from the kitchens."

The doctor refused at first. "She doesn't want to be left alone." Nishi was surprised that the doctor would refuse, considering he had been annoyed with her when she insisted he stay with her.

"I'll be with them," the detective said. "I'll shout super loud and obnoxiously so you know to just coming running."

The doctor looked down at Nishi pitifully. "Is that alright my lady?" he asked respectfully. She nodded, wanting to be alone with the detective, while at the same time not wanting to do so.

The oaf and doctor left together. Hiei saw in Nishi's mind that a veil or sorts seemed to be lifted. The second the bedroom door shut behind them, she started crying silently. Her hand griped Hiei's tightly, wishing mentally down to him to just wake up.

The detective sat down on the edge of the bed near her. He did not say anything at first, just sat there. When she finally calmed herself down, she let go of Hiei's hand and wiped her face with her tattered sleeve. Then she thought absentmindedly that she should probably at least change her clothing on her next break.

"So," the detective breathed. "What happened?"

Nishi felt a jolt of fear run down her spine. She shook her heading rapidly, saying, "No.. I don't- no. I don't want to talk about it."

The detective maintained a soft tone. "I know it's hard, but you need to talk it out. At least once, so you don't get traumatized or anything like that."

Nishi looked at him crossly, her temper rising because of panic and fear. "How do you know anything about that?" she hissed.

The detective gave a soft chuckle, which seemed to get Nishi to drop her guard half way. "Keiko's been taking a couple of psychology classes at university. She won't stop talking about how fascinating psychoanalysis or whatever it is is. She keep trying to psychoanalyze me. Rather annoyed with me when I won't answer her questions." He rolled his eyes.

There was something about the way he spoke and his demeanor that made Nishi drop her guard completely. Nishi found the idea of talking to him less terrifying.

"I shouldn't have..." she started, but then she felt like she was choking on her sobs. She brought her hand up to her face.

"Ok, first off," the detective said, his hand coming up to pull her hand away from her mouth. "No 'I should have or shouldn't haves.' It happened. It's done. There's nothing you can do to change the past. It's better for you to talk it out and try to separate consequences from results." She nodded mutely, not wanting to speak. "And second, when you feel like you can't speak, heave a forceful sigh to clear out the emotional response."

She heaved the forced sigh he suggested, finding it easier to breathe and even think because of it. "After I left, leaving the squad behind, Hayate chased me down and we got into a fight..."

She went through it all, all from her end. She struggled to speak at some parts, but forced out a sigh to keep herself speaking. The part where she felt like Hiei and the large demon abandoned and said they were leaving her to fend for herself was almost as hard as the part where she was nearly raped. The detective sat there calmly, listening to her.

"... and I don't know what to do now. I just want him to live, but I'm so tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of lies and secrets. Tired of trying. But I love him..."

"No one gets a fairy tale ending," the detective told her with a shrug. "And when you're mated, it makes it a little harder." She sat quiet as a mouse, not saying anything. "But whatever you decide after this, I'll support you. You know that right?" She nodded, still not wanting to speak anymore. Or to look at him. "You're going to be alright. One or another, it's going to work its way out and you'll be okay."

She jumped, beyond spooked when someone rapped on the door. "Come in," she called out breathlessly.

The doctor came back in. He seemed a little more energized. "It's been over an hour since your last break. You need to take a break and rest for ten minutes. Get up and walk around for a bit."

Nishi whined under her breath, but she recalled her dragon from Hiei's blood. Now he was in the dark again, not sure what to make of what she shared. The lack of her and her dragon was depressing. She would be back though, he still was sick. Apparently the vaccine the doctor gave him never worked. Just floated listlessly in his blood stream. If it was not for her, he would be dead.

'That bird's child was right, she is your weakness,' his dragon.

'Shut up,' he growled, not caring whether either one of them was wrong or right. He paused, wondering about one particular word his dragon used. 'What do you mean bird's child?'

'The leader of that bird clan you were busy hunting doxies with,' his dragon replied.

The word 'bird' hung in his mind, refusing to be lifted. 'What do you mean by 'bird?'"

'The hawk demoness who is considered the mother of Hayate's clan,' his dragon explained.

Hiei thought the word 'bird' over carefully. 'Was it the same 'bird' you referred to when you said 'bird reaper' earlier? The one who came for me when I was...' he did not think the last word of his intended sentence.

'The one that came when you nearly died? It was the same bird,' his dragon dropped.

He gasped, shocked at that confirmation. 'It can't be...' His mind raced.

The hawk only came after those who have died from the clan. The prince sent other reapers after the others. If the hawk came after him, that meant he too was from the clan. He had not thought about his parentage for awhile. His mother was an ice demon, not doubt about that. But his father had always been a mystery. He gave up trying to figure that out long ago, but it seemed to come up anew. One way or another, he new for sure now he was a bastard child from the clan. It almost made sense now how comfortable he had felt when he was at the clan. He had wrongly attributed it to feeling at ease with the mate. Had he not been born a fire demon because of his mother's clan, then he wondered if he would have ended up as a wind demon like the large demon. It was such a head rush. He sensed Nishi and her dragon come back, but he hardly noticed them, mind trying to work out this newfound revelation.

After Nishi's seventh hour break however, she came back bawling. Hiei read her mind in an instant, trying to figure out what was wrong. Simply put, she was absolutely exhausted and that had finally taken its toll. She felt light headed, over heated, thirsty, and her muscles ached.

"Dude, you're exhausted," the detective told her, his voice on the edge. "Take a nap at least. For a few hours. I'm sure he can manage with the vaccine and his own immune system."

Nishi could hardly think in the brain fog affecting her. "I... I can't... What if I sleep too long? What if he... dies while I'm asleep."

"Oye, Daiki," the detective called over to the also exhausted doctor. He at least had taken cat naps between Nishi's hourly breaks. "Can she take a rest? Sleep for a little bit?"

The doctor did not answer right away. Nishi watched as he stepped over to Hiei's body. He tapped twice on his midsection. Nishi watched a holographic image pop up above Hiei's body. There was a red, liquid image with a few small specs of black floating through out the red liquid.

Nishi pulled her left hand over her mouth, trying to choke back a sob. She knew before the doctor even said anything that she could not just lay down and sleep. He still had doxy poison in his system. Every single black spec had to be routed out before she could rest. She was frightened of the idea that if she left one in him, he would die.

The doctor spoke with a grimace, "if she did, there is a good chance he'll live, but the remaining poison could do some damage."

Nishi let out a force sigh, trying to keep her emotions at bay. All she wanted to do was sleep. The only thing she wanted more was for Hiei to live. She needed something to energize her. "Daiki," she breathed his name numbly. "Give me that second shot of adrenaline... or whatever it is you have in your bag... Before I pass out please."

As the doctor rummaged through his, the detective asked, "what do you mean, adrenaline shot?"

The doctor pulled the second adrenaline shot out of his bag. "Are you sure about that?" the detective asked. "What exactly is that going to do to you?"

The doctor responded, "it will energize her, but will leave her dehydrated, might affect her pulse, and might make her weak and shaky."

"Just... I don't know..." Nishi responded, unsure if she should take it or not. She felt so ready to fall asleep sitting up. She wanted to cry all over again because her head was pounding with every heartbeat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the detective cautioned. "What about a cup of coffee or something? Try that first?" Nishi whined under her breath, unsure of what to say. The detective stepped over to her and ruffled her hair. "No need for a shot," he told her. "I'll go get you a cup of coffee. Give me two minutes." He left the room in a rush.

After he was gone for over a minute, Nishi made a decision. "Daiki," she mumbled. "Give the shot."

The doctor looked at her cautiously, asking, "are you sure?"

Nishi nodded wordlessly. "Please," she pleaded pitifully.

The doctor did not need asking twice. He stepped over to her, pushed up her left shirt sleeve, and inserted the needle. She winced as he did it, but said nothing. He rolled her sleeve back down for her.

"Don't drink the coffee Yusuke is bringing you after this," the doctor advised. "I'll get you a glass of water instead."

The doctor did not go far though. He went to their bathroom, got the cup she used to rinse her mouth after she brushed her teeth. He filled it up with water and brought it back to her. She held it shakily in her left hand, sipping from the water. It had an aftertaste of mint. She already felt the kick from the adrenaline shot surging through her veins.

The detective came back, bearing a fresh, hot cup of coffee. "Set it by the bed please," she asked him when went to hand her. He put it down on the nightstand by the bed.

She went to take another sip of her water. She got the cup half way up to her mouth, but then her arm jerked. She dropped the cup and tucked her left arm into her chest. She shook as pain radiated around her left arm. Water splashed on her and on the bed. The plastic cup clanged as it hit the floor.

"Dude, what's wrong?" the detective asked her in concern.

"My arm really hurts," she murmured. The detective rubbed her shoulder, meaning to be gentle, but she cried out when he did it.

The detective jumped up to pull his hand away as fast as he could. "What the hell is wrong?" he asked. He looked back and forth between Nishi and the doctor.

The doctor confessed, "she asked for the adrenaline shot, so I gave it to her. Muscle pain and cramps at the injection shot can happen."

The doctor stepped back over to her. The detective stepped out of his way to make room for him. He rubbed the top of her left arm gently and carefully. It hurt her at first, but helped the pain go away after a few moments.

The detective stepped around the back of Nishi and grabbed the unwanted cup of coffee. "Well, if you're not going to drink it, then I am," he said, before taking a sip.

Hiei watched in her mind as she felt more energized, but like she could still fall asleep in an instant. As she looked down at him, she thought, 'please. Just live.'

She got another break after the eighth hour. After the ninth hour, her dragon did not come back and neither did she. Her dragon had consumed all of the doxy poison in his system. After it left him, his dragon told him the news that he was going to live, with no lasting damage or anything like that. His dragon released his guard on his mind and spine, letting him slip easily into a deep, dark, and dreamless sleep.


	121. Chapter 121

Hiei had no clue how long he had been sleeping, but he could tell his body and mind woke up slowly. His body hurt everywhere, but more like muscle aches rather than an acidic burning that promised death. He blinked slowly and determinedly. His vision went from blurry to clear in matter of blinks. He was laying on his back, blinking up at ceiling of his and Nishi's bedroom.

The doctor was next to him in a rush. "Oh, thank goodness. How are you feeling?"

Hiei closed his eyes and shook his head to clear it. He grunted under his breath. "Shut up," he croaked. His lower left leg was throbbing, more noticeable than the rest of the pain in his body, but compared to the doxy poison, it was manageable.

"Oh yeah, he's fine," Hiei heard the detective say.

Hiei pulled himself up, struggling to get into a half sitting, half reclining position. Even doing that was exhausting. He panted at the effort, closing his eyes restfully.

The doctor kept asking him questions, but he ignored them. Rather he was trying to stay awake, even though he wanted to nod off again just from how tired he was from sitting up.

The doctor came over to him, giving him more pillows and assisted him to sit up more comfortably. It was slightly demeaning, but more comfortable at least.

He blinked, forcing his eyes open and kept them open. He looked stared off in the distance, noticing the doctor and detective there. "Where's Nishi?" he choked out. His throat felt like it cracked when he asked that.

The detective snorted and then laughed at him. The doctor answered in his stead, "she's asleep right next to you."

Hiei let his head lull to the right, seeing Nishi asleep on her side with her back facing him. Her hair was tangled, but not as much as it had been back before she brushed it when he was unconscious.

Hiei saw the detective walk around to her side of the bed, saying. "She's only been asleep for two hours. She'll be quite happy to see you alive."

Hiei shook his head. "Leave her asleep," he lulled. She was exhausted and she was a human. That was not enough time for her to be well rested. She deserved more sleep. He could wait for her to sleep it off.

The detective chuckled, "nah." He knelt next to Nishi on the bed. He shook her shoulder, saying, "hey."

He managed to wake her up after a few shakes. "No," Nishi groaned childishly. She nuzzled her face into her pillow. The detective reached over to her hair and tugged on it. "Owe," she whined at him.

The detective smirked at her. "Ok, well, if you don't want to wake up, I'll tell Hiei you were too tired to roll over to see him."

At first, Nishi was still, but then she shakily pushed herself up to her forearms.

"Hn," Hiei could not help but smirk at her. Feisty even when she was exhausted and tired.

Nishi turned her head, looking over to him. She froze, not even breathing. She stared at him, both wide eyed and disbelievingly. Then she pulled herself over to him as fast as she could. She landed on him too hard for his liking. He let off an, "oomph," at the pain of impact. She rested her head on his chest, clinging to him.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. She brought her face up to him, kissing him lightly. She breathed thankfully, "you're alive."

All because of her. The vaccine never worked. It it had not been for her and her dragon, he would have been dead and he knew it. He nodded to her, "thanks to you."

He pulled his arms around her, bringing her head down to rest on his shoulder. He could not even begin to think how grateful he was for her. So strong, so loving, so enduring, so dedicated, so determined. His mind fogged at all the adjectives he could use to describe her.

Hiei opened his mouth to speak, but the detective spoke before he could. "If I took a picture, what would you two do?" the detective teased. Nishi cocked her head towards the detective, but Hiei pulled her back to him. She was his now and no one else's, at least for a little bit. "I'll take that as a no..."

Hiei stroked her hair affectionately. She was perfect in her own way. Indescribably wonderful. He whispered down to her, "next time you have a row with Hayate, I want to be awake to see it." She was bold when she did that. So raw, so honest. She was not taking any bullshit from him. She told him off, just as he deserved.

Nishi turned her head up towards him, asking questioningly, "how do you know about that?" Her eyes lingered on his Jagan eye. She smiled softly to herself. "Multitasking in your sleep again?"

Hiei leaned his head back, so tired. "A lot easier when you've got the wind dragon working its way through my system. I got to witness you both tell each other off on things you both needed to hear. So entertaining." Hiei liked how she told the large demon off more than how the large demon told her off. He needed put in his place more so than she had.

"You know everything that happened then," she murmured in a higher pitch. He entered her mind groggily, seeing that that fact made her uncomfortable, but openly accepting to it.

He stroked her hair. "Hn, you're right about Minha," he told her. "Not worth trusting, but she won't act on anything while Hayate's around." He kept her in check. Nishi gave a breathy laugh. She really wanted to sleep, but she wanted to stay awake and to just lay against him. He shook his head. "Sleep," he permitted her. She shook her head stubbornly. Oh, so stubborn. He could not help love that trait. That trait saved his life because she refused to stop helping him, even though she was exhausted. "I'll still be here still when you're awake," he promised. He noticed the detective and doctor were still near by. Mentally he warned her, 'And after a shower, you're in trouble.'

He sent to her mind memories he had about her. Images of them in bed together. He noticed her face went pink. She thought right back at him about her mate bite on his neck. Then she thought about something he wanted now more than anything; her to mate claim him. If she did that, he would accept any en pass she offered him. "Hn," he grunted, wanting to give her everything she desired.

He sensed her drifting off to sleep, still slightly unwillingly. He held her against his chest and shoulder, not wanting to let her go. Best thing he ever stole.

The doctor kept pestering him, kept asking questions. He answered him tersely when he would rather go back to sleep himself.

Then he asked quite an irritating question, "maybe you let Nanashi lay down so she can get a proper rest."

When the doctor stepped over to him to assist him and laying Nishi back down on the bed, Hiei growled at him. The doctor looked down at him indignantly when he pulled the sleeping Nishi closer.

The detective was still there, exhausted himself, but not nearly as exhausted as Nishi had been. "You'll have to excuse him, doc," he said. "He was more or less raised in the wild South of the Demon World. Half feral sometimes. Don't blame him for being over protective of her. Maybe both of them should be allowed to sleep together in peace."

The doctor nodded towards the detective. He turned back to Hiei, suggesting gently, "you need to rest as well. I will be asleep on the couch in your sitting room should you two need anything. Do try to lay down on your back instead of resting upright." He looked over to the detective. "I think we all should rest," he suggested.

The detective nodded. "Don't have to tell me twice. I'm just down the hall. Shout if you need anything."

With that, they both left the room. The detective went to his own, but the doctor kept the door open between their bedroom and sitting room. Hiei saw him go over and lay down on the couch. That must not have been very comfortable.

Hiei let Nishi go, pushing her gently to roll over to the other side of the bed. She did not wake up at all. He threw the excess pillows from behind him off the bed. She was laying her side. He rolled over to her, throwing his arm around her, pulling her in as close as close can be. His lower left leg still ached tremendously. He decided to deal with that later. He fell asleep without so much as another thought.

When he woke up next, he had no clue what day or time it was. Nishi was not in bed with him anymore, but he sensed her in their bathroom. He saw the doctor standing there, looking slightly awkward. Hiei could not but help wondering just how useless this healer was.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" the doctor asked him cautiously.

He sat up, grinding his teeth at the pain in his lower left leg. He nodded towards the tray of food and water left sitting on Nishi's night stand. He looked over the other side of the bed, seeing a tray of dishes on his night stand. He reached over and took the glass of water, drinking over half of it down. He sat the glass back down. He wanted to see Nishi first, before he ate.

His leg cramped as he swung it over the bed. He looked down at the clean the pair of pants he had on. He had no idea how or when or who had them put on him. The idea of the doctor doing it instead of Nishi made him cringe internally.

He brought his feet to the ground and stood up. The second he put weight on his leg, it buckled. He half shouted, half growled. He went down on his right knee, supporting all of his weight on it. The pain and cramping that radiated from his left calf was excruciating. The doctor was next to him in an instant, trying to pull him up. Hiei shoved him away, not wanting him to touch him.

Nishi was there in a rush. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Hiei gripped her forearms tightly, pulling her down closer to him. "Help me stand," he requested. The pain in his leg was at the forefront of his mind.

She helped him up. Any weight at all on his left leg was too painful. He favored his right leg. He breathed heavily, gripping her forearms fiercely. Determinedly, he tried to put his left foot down. He winced vocally at the pain. He forced himself to put his weight on it. His leg buckled. He fell against Nishi, succeeding in staying standing.

"Damn it," he cursed as he put all his weight back on his right leg. He seethed through his teeth.

Nishi held him up steadily. "Hiei, what's wrong? What's happened? Is it from the doxy poison?" She turned her head back to the doctor, quite concerned.

"No," Hiei hissed. Nishi turned back to him. "From that I'm fine, thanks to you. His antidote was useless." Nishi pursed her lips. She had known it too, but had not said anything. "It was only your blood and your wind dragon that saved me from that fate. My only problem now is my was not healed correctly by that fool." He snarled at the useless doctor. He could not even heal right.

The doctor looked slightly nervous. "And how was I supposed to know the antibiotic didn't work?" he griped. "Or that in the rush to actually save your life, that the damage to your leg was not properly healed?" He took a deep breath. "Those teeth were long enough and sharp enough to tear your lower leg clean off. You're lucky you still have that leg."

Hiei snarled at the doctor's words. Be grateful you're alive, if you're crippled. This son of bitch needed gone at the earliest opportunity. His leg needed healed again, this time, correctly. He needed a healer he could trust. Yukina was too far, but the mate was near. She would help him, he knew it. She might bitch about it, but she would do it.

He looked over at the doctor, "you're the doctor, you tell me."

Nishi stepped over to him and mumbled, "come on." She assisted him in sitting down on the bed. Next, she knelt down in front of him. "Let me look at it." She rolled up his left pant leg, examining his calf. She touched it gently, making him wince slightly. She cast a worried look over to the doctor. "Can't you just heal it again?"

"No," Hiei refused. Nishi looked back up at him, a perplex and confused frown on her face. "In his haste, he didn't heal my calf right, so the muscles are all twisted and misaligned." Nishi swallowed thickly. "And something that has already been healed cannot be re-healed. The area needs to be re-damaged and then healed again properly in hopes the original damage will be corrected."

Nishi looked up at Hiei and then over to the doctor. "Then do it," she requested.

Hiei refused outright. "He fucked it up once. Do you really think I'll let him do it again?"

Nishi's face grew a shade darker at his words.

The doctor spoke while she stayed silent. "Well, where are you going to find another healer?" Hiei could not help but smirk as he kept talking. "Your son is too young and untrained to heal extensive muscle damage like I tried to. Yukina is in the Human World and would take some time getting here. The longer you let your calf muscles stay like that, the great the chance that they will be permanently damaged."

Hiei scowled ruefully over to the indignant looking doctor. "I'd rather let Minha do it."

"Are you sure?" Nishi asked him, wanting some reassurance. "I... I don't really trust her..."

He reached his hand down to her hair, stroking it affectionately. "I do."

Nishi hummed under her breath. She stood up, saying, "we need to get you cleaned up then. I don't want you going to her, um..." She reached her hands down to him and pulled him up.

She guided him to the bathroom. In there, she helped him bathe. Thankfully, the doctor did not try to help as well. After that, she helped him get dressed in clean clothing. Last, she helped him get back to the bed to sit.

Once he was sitting, Nishi asked him, "do you want me to go find Minha and bring her to you?"

Hiei shook his head, pushing himself stand up on his own. "I'm going with you."

"Ok," she sighed and nodded.

They left their bedroom together. He saw in their sitting room the doctor once more passed out on their couch.

"I don't blame him," Nishi commented tiredly.

Nishi assisted him to walk. He tried to use the wall more than her though. They ran into the innocent one in the hallway. She told them the large demon and the mate were in the library. They went there as quick as he could walk.

The large demon and mate sat on a couch near the fire place. A small fire blazed in the fire place. Their hair was down. The mate sat on the couch while the large demon sat on the floor in front of her. The mate was busily rubbing his shoulders. The large demon seemed blissed by it.

The mate looked over at him, saying, "hello." She looked smug, but relieved.

Hiei nodded to her, and then dead panned, "the doctor messed up." Her eye brows raised in fake surprise. "You need to re-heal my leg. Properly." Hiei put on a grimaced as he put weight on his leg left.

The mate looked at him smugly, as if wondering what she could get in return for healing him. This is where Nishi could come in, offering her the sprite for the healing. And then the stranger's last request would be fulfilled. Knowing both Nishi and the mate, this all was doable.


	122. Chapter 122

Even as his girl sat happily on his lap, Hiei went over in the mind again how Nishi had convinced the mate to take on the sprite in her service, in return for healing his leg. Nishi did everything he needed her to do. She finished off the stranger's final wishes. She was amazing in her way. Priceless.

He flexed his left leg, twisting his foot around absentmindedly. It was like brand new. The mate certainly knew how to heal. He knew he could relay on her for that and more.

He looked around the room. They were in the library, with couches all arranged in a large circle. Drinks were on offer, but Nishi touched nothing alcoholic. She refused any when it was offered to her by the detective. Nishi was there, sitting next to him on the couch with her boy in her lap. The detective, the oaf, the large demon, the mate, the mate's guard, the staff, and the whole squad were there. The coward in particular was very quiet and uncomfortable. He sat on his own, not willing to engage in conversation with anyone.

Hiei studied the large demon subtly, wondering how he felt about killing the doxy trainer. Hiei still felt jealous of the idea that he killed him before he could. He had called that kill, yet the large demon took it from him. At least it messed with the large demon's mind to have killed his childhood best friend.

The only ones missing were the healer, the sprite,and the fox. They were still in the Spirit World while the sprite recovered from having her baby. The fox had written them a brief letter. It had been difficult for the sprite, but not lasting damage occurred. They were going to return as soon as she was rested enough.

He looked carefully over the squad members, the mate's guard, the mate, and the large demon. His new found brothers and sisters, for all in tense and purposes. He inferred he was a bastard, and most likely a bastard of someone shipped off to exile. Still hard to think about it. He could not see much of resemblance between him or Yukina and anyone else around them.

Hiei leaned his head back on the top edge of the couch. His head lulled against Nishi's shoulder. He blinked drowsily, thinking about how much he wanted her to mate claim him. Tonight. While he was in a weakened state. So that when she tied him down, he would not be able to fight her back if his instincts took over. It would not end the precarious way when he claimed her.

He felt Nishi shift, but he did not open his eyes. "I think it's time the kids head to bed," she said.

Hiei opened his eyes, watching her pick up her boy and one of the nannies pick up his girl from his lap. She whined wordlessly, but he shushed her. She snuggled next to the nanny holding her willingly after that.

"I'll be right back," she told Hiei. "You can stay here and rest."

She and the nanny were gone for what seemed like a few minutes. Hiei jumped when she tapped him on the shoulder. He had not even realized he had fallen asleep until that moment.

"I think you and I should go to bed too," she said. "You may be alive and well, but you are much too exhausted yet. You need to rest too."

While she helped him up, the detective teased, "rest eh? Got that step ladder handy?"

Nishi stared at him harshly. He did not say anything else after that.

"Come on," Nishi said, beckoning him to follow her.

He did so. He knew he was going to get what he wanted very soon. She was going to mate claim him tonight. It was the perfect night. He was weak enough for it. He wanted it and she could do it.

He followed after her, hating how tired he was. She offered to carry him, but he refused her. The more tired he was, the more easily claimable he was. And all this walking was wearing him out.

When they finally got to their bedroom, he dropped himself onto the bed. "I'm tired," he breathed. He lay down on his back with his legs dangling off the bed. He was tired, but semi hard just at the thought of her teeth piercing his flesh.

Nishi sat down next to him on the bed. She was tense, nervous. "Then you should rest," she told him softly.

He looked up at her, smiling at the fact that she also wanted this. He took her hand in his, rubbing it gently.

"Not yet," he warned her.

He let go of her hand. He brought both of his hands down to the two white belts that held his pants up. These belts were perfect for tying him up to the bed railings. One for each wrist. He would be less able to fight her back if he was tied up. He handed the first belt to her.

She looked down at the belt he placed in her hand. He explained, "Remember the thought you had before you last fell asleep? About you mate claiming me?"

He placed the second belt on top of the first one in her hand. He pushed himself back up to a sitting position next to her. He pulled her face down to his for a sultry kiss. He was so looking forward to having three bites from her on his body; claiming his heart, mind, and body as her own. The very thought made his blood flush. Hers.

She arched her neck back. "Can I do that?" she whispered shyly.

He nodded, leaning his forehead against her forehead. "It won't affect the original claim. Will more or less enhance it." He brought his mouth down around her jaw line.

She whined nervously. "But you're so tired and weak right now."

His breathing grew heavier in anticipation. "This is the best time." He kissed along her face, up to her ear, and half whispered, half panted, "I'm weak and can be easily tied down... I'm less likely to... get rough.. to bite back..." She pulled her face away and nipped her lower lip, looking at him with a guilty look that made his blood run cooler. She looked away from him, tensing up. He did not like it all. "What's wrong?" he asked, pressing lips barely against her neck. She did not like biting him, so maybe the idea of drawing blood from him and drinking it made her uncomfortable.

She gave a strained sigh. He brought his hand down to her leg, trying to turn her on and to make her feel more at ease. She pulled her leg away from him, scooting over to the edge of the bed. He watched her frown as she set her elbows on her knees.

She swallowed, asking, "why couldn't I know you and Hayate were coming to rescue me from-" she hummed to finish question.

He moved closer to her, sitting right against her. She pulled her leg away from his. "He was mad," he explained. "And vengeful. You became the target when Hayate armed you his brother's knife." He felt a renewed anger at both the large demon and the doxy trainer the thought.

She whined right at him, "you could have at least told me when you changed your mind and decided to come rescue me after all."

She knew nothing. "The minute I saw the flash, I was on the move." She looked over at him in shock. "You were just so far away. And once you saw him, I could see inside his mind using your mind like a bridge." She looked away, missing how the idea made him shake in anger for a few seconds. His tone took on a bite. "If he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him slowly just for what he thought about doing to you." She looked at him with a puzzled frown. "He wanted to torture you to death and relished taunting us over it. But in his mind I could also see that if he suspected a rescue in the works, he was going to skip to the end plan before we could get there."

She looked taken aback. She stuttered out, "you could have just said in my mind you were on your way. I could have pretended to give up hope instead of actually doing it..." She held a wounded look in her eyes.

Her temper grew shorter. "You could have just said in my mind you were on your way. I could have pretended to give up hope instead of actually doing it..."

Why could she not understand fully? "You were too hopeful to be rescued and he could tell," he reworded. "He was about to decide to kill you sooner rather than later. We had to lie. Your reaction at what I had to say to convince you-" Speaking became harder. He grabbed her hand. When she looked at him, he grabbed her face, making her keep looking at him. "I never meant it. I said it to keep you alive. I can't..." he kissed her intermittently. "... imagine being without you... permanently," he admitted vulnerably.

She seethed, pulling away from him. "yet you have lied-"

"To save you-" he interrupted.

"About other things too..." she exasperated. She got off the bed, stepping away from him. "And abandoned me before-"

Why did she understand nothing? "The distance was necessary. I would think-"

She rounded on me crossly. "Don't turn that sentence into an insult too."

He did not back down. "Neither of us is perfect. I could say similar of you." The lying, the broken trust, the frigidness. "You feel this way and yet you saved my life." He rose off the bed, came over to her, stood behind, and wrapped his arms around her front. "En pass," he conceded.

She groaned, revealing her short temper. "I don't know... I think too much has been done now for that..."

He held her tighter. "Nanashi-"

"No," she shook her head. She slipped her way out of his grip. She walked away. He hated the sight of it.

He watched her disbelievingly. "I'm sorry," he rushed out.

She stopped at door, turned her head back, and said, "I need to be alone. Surely you can understand that." She turned back, went throw the door, and slammed it shut behind her.

He dropped to his knees meekly at the sight of her leaving. "Yours," he pined.


	123. Chapter 123

Exhaustion was the only reason Hiei could sleep after that. He wanted to go after Nishi, but when he briefly read her mind, he did not want to see anymore. She wanted to leave, but could not quite bring herself to decide to do it. He could not bring himself to read anymore. She was unsure though. There was hope in that. He could still convince her.

He slept heavily, only to be jarred awake by the sound of Nishi screaming in their sitting room. He ran out their bedroom and into their sitting room to her.

She lay on the couch, cuddled up with a thin blanket. He knelt beside her, shaking her shoulder roughly. She looked... fine. He was so sure he had heard her scream. There was no way that was just a dream or anything like that.

Shaking her shoulder should have woken her up though. "Nanashi?"he said her name questioningly. She laid there, clearly breathing but non-responsive. "Nishi," he spoke her name louder. He shook her shoulder rougher. "Wake up," he willed her. He reached over to her hair and yanked on it as hard as he dared. "Wake up, Nanashi. Please." He shook her harder. All of that should have awoken her. The detective woke her up easily in her exhausted state. He debated in his mind before acting. He slapped his hand across her face. That had worked to wake her back when he mate claimed her.

Yet now it did not work this time. He yelled her name now: "Nanashi!"

She made no response or movement at all. He growled under his breath. He grabbed by her the arm, yanking up into a sitting position. That should have shocked her awake, but she went limp and stayed that way. He let her go. She plopped back down with no control.

He swore loudly. He studied her sleeping face. She looked frightened. Her eyes were moving rapidly back and forth under her eyelids. Hiei pulled off his head band, trying to enter into her mind, but was met with blackness. It was like she was dead. He could see her chest rising and falling and she was warm. There was no way she was dead. He kept trying to push into her mind, worried if he pushed too hard, he might hurt her.

She was stuck in a dream walk, she must have been. By some member of the clan, of his clan. And there was one person he was certain had her trapped in a dream walk in her mind that she would not be able to wake from: the doxy trainer. He could be doing anything to her in her mind right now, and that thought terrified him.

He gave up trying to get into her mind. The bird was blocking him. Or the doxy trainer was using the bird to block him. He entered the mate's mind instead.

'Minha-' he started, but pulled out her mind immediately when he saw the large demon laying shirtless beneath her. He swore again, trying to blink that image out of his mind. It was not an image he ever desired to see.

He bent down and kissed Nishi lightly on the lips. She did not move at all when he did that.

It did not take long for the mate and the large demon to come to their rooms without even knocking. The mate had a robe on while the large demon was hastily dressed in a shirt and pants. Hiei did not leave Nishi's side, but rather just looked over at them when they entered. The mate looked concerned while the large demon looked irritated.

"Hiei, what's wrong?" the mate ask, coming over to kneel down next to him. "It's like seven o'clock in the morning."

"Get her awake," he requested tensely. "Right now."

The mate looked over at Nishi. She reached a gloved hand over and shook Nishi's shoulder. She had a puzzled frown on her face when Nishi made no response. "Dream walk," she stated. She rose up to a standing position.

"No kidding," Hiei hissed up at her. "It's Ichiro. It has to be. Now, get her awake."

The mate blinked down at him, slightly pale herself. She looked over at the large demon. "We can't," he answered for her.

Hiei rose up to stand as well. "Bullshit," he swore at both of them. "Get my mate awake, right now!"

The mate shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but kept silent when Nishi spoke. "No," Nishi said in a voice that was both defiant and frightened.

"It's Ichiro," Hiei determined, feeling afraid himself. He could not even begin to imagine what he was doing to her. "Get her awake right now!"

The mate shook her head. "I don't know how. Neither does Hayate."

He closed the distance between himself and the mate. He grabbed her by the collar of her robe. The large demon growled at him, but the mate held her hand out. A signal not to interfere.

"You are the leader of the clan," Hiei said to the mate. "You need to get the bird mother to let Nanashi go right now. She's mine. He can't have her."

The mate shook her head slowly. "First off," she nodded over to the large demon. "He's the leader. The Gunju."

"Hn," Hiei grunted, knowing who really called the shots after spending time with the two of them, both separate and together. The large demon sighed tensely under his breath. The beta to her alpha.

The mate continued, "it descends from his family line, much like the Demon World's old monarch descends in mine." Hiei rolled eyes, not really caring about hearing that line from her for the umteenth time. She had no real proof of that, but just liked to flaunt it. "Anyway, when a brother or sister dies, our mother lets them say goodbye to someone they knew in person when they were alive. Only our mother can wake someone up. And only when the dream walker is finished with them."

Hiei shoved the mate away from him, not liking her answer. He pointed down at Nishi. "He could be doing anything to her right now. Saying anything to her right now. And all you can say is she'll wake up when she wakes up." He raised his voice, shouting at the mate now. "That's not good enough!"

A knocking came from their main door. The detective came into the room, asking, "what the fuck are you shouting about so early in the morning?" He looked over at the large demon and then to the mate and Hiei. Last, he looked down at Nishi. "You know, she's still kind of pissed at you. I don't think having a shouting match in front of her while she's trying to sleep is the best idea."

Briefly, the mate explained to the detective what happens during the dream walks. While she explained it, Hiei went back down on his knees next to Nishi's sleeping form. He kept trying not to imagine what the doxy trainer was saying or doing to her.

When the mate finished her explanation, the detective swore, "dude, that's, weird... Can't you just get her awake? At max a week is a really long time for someone to sleep, even someone worn out like she is."

Hiei held her hand, leaning his head down on the couch by her hand. 'Let her go,' he thought to this bird mother. Mother was still such an odd word in his mind. He mouthed it silently, but it felt just as odd in his mouth.

He tried once more to enter her mind. Blank and black. He pushed harder, not caring anymore about protecting her mind. He only wanted her awake. He felt himself go rigid, shaking slightly. His head ached, but he just kept pushing. He gave up, leaning back on his knees.

"Just shut up," he told the detective and the mate.

The mate knelt back down next to him. "I'm just as terrified as you are about what could be happening to her mind right now, or even just to sleep myself." Her hand rested on his shoulder affectionately. "But there's nothing we can do right now but wait."

Hiei glanced backed behind himself, looking over at the large demon. "I want to speak to you alone," he said.

"Why?" the mate asked. "He doesn't know how to wake her up."

Hiei insisted, "please, just leave. Both you and Yusuke. You can come back when we're done."

The mate beckoned the detective, shooing him out of the room, leaving the three of them alone. Before the detective left, he said to shout if he needing anything.

The large demon stepped over to where Hiei knelt. "You lay another hand on her-" the large demon began.

Hiei looked up at him. "You'll what? Let her do whatever she wants whenever she wants to? I still have her protection. You know she's the one whose really in charge between the two of you. I bet you never made a decision she never agreed with."

The large demon sat down on the arm of the couch by Nishi's feet. He crossed his arms across his chest in a huff. "You do know that I can't get Nanashi awake. It's not like I'm keeping a secret from Minha about it or anything like that."

Hiei shook his head. Maybe if the large demon knew what he discovered, he would quit blathering the same 'I can't' line and actually help Nishi. He made the decision because it would help Nishi. He could just tell her second instead.

"You're the direct descendant of Mother. You must know something that Minha doesn't," Hiei said to him. "Brother. So now, you tell me how to wake her up."

The large demon's face went blank. Hiei found it unnerving that he was not all that surprised. "How... how... did you figure it out too?"

Hiei gasped, "you knew?" The large demon ran his hand over his forehead and threw the hair on top of his head. "How did you find out?"

"Nanashi," the large demon answered. The large demon looked down at Nishi. "I haven't told Minha yet. I haven't gotten a chance to since we've been apart for so long."

Hiei shook his head. "Nanashi didn't know. I only just figured it out about this."

The large demon sighed. "When you were poisoned, you nearly died, didn't you? Since you're a bastard, born outside of the clan, you would go into death with your back turned on her. She would have told you to turn around."

"How do you know that too?" He was starting to think the large demon really needed to explain himself.

Thankfully, he did. "When I sat down with Nanashi for a conversation, she revealed that she saw mother when Yasha dream walked into her dream. She's a full blooded human, so that left only one possibility. You're a bastard born outside of the clan. Mates of brothers and sisters, whether they are born inside or outside of the clan, then they can see mother and she can communicate with them. And I know about near death experience in my clan. Those who are full blooded, she tells them to open their eyes. Those who are not full Hayato, they have to turn around for her to take them."

Hiei looked down at Nishi. "Get her awake," he demanded.

"I can't!" the large demon half shouted. "Brother or no brother, it doesn't work like that. Right now, I'm more worried about how I'm going to stay awake for the next few months or so. You should do the same."

Hiei narrowed his eyes at the large demon. "You keep this secret from Minha. I'll decide if she finds out," he decided.

Hiei pushed back into Nishi's mind, trying to get around the bird's block on her mind. 'Let me in or let her go,' he thought silently. 'She's mine, not his.' He pushed himself harder, trying to break through.

He gave up, letting go mentally. Then Nishi's sleeping form let loose a pained scream. Her neck arched up when she screamed. He watched her response in horror. What could the doxy trainer be doing with her that she would scream like that?

"Let her go," Hiei pleaded.

He pushed himself to the limit trying to get into her mind. Still nothing. He could feel her warm hand in his. He panted, his head pounding with blinding pain. He shouted in excretion, but still nothing.

He still could not give up. She did not give up on him when was poisoned. He pushed himself harder and harder, ignoring the blinding pain in his own mind. "Nishi," he panted before he passed out.

When he came to, it was with a shock and a jar. He had fallen hard on the floor, groaning at the impact.

Then he heard her. "Yusuke!" Nishi said in a temperamental tone. She smacked him for good measure.

He sat up, bewildered. He had not realized he was asleep until he was jarred awake. He stared up at her in all her stubborn glory. She looked fine, physically and mentally sound.

"You're okay," he breathed in relief. He jumped up, pulling her into his chest, and wrapping his arms around her. He could not wrap his head around how she was okay for who knew how long the doxy trainer had her in her mind. "You're screams. I couldn't wake you. He had you again and you were too far to reach this time," he confessed.

He let her go, sat down next to her, and held her hand. She shifted her legs away from and briefly glanced up wearily at his forehead. He pulled his headband out of his pocket and put it back on. Once finished with that, he brought his hand back down on hers. What had happened to her?

"It wasn't like that," she murmured to him. In a clearer voice, she said, "it was Ichiro walking into my dreams yes, but he was only a stepping stone for the Great Hawk Spirit-"

"Is that that bird them guys worship?" the detective butted in.

Hiei looked up at him, not liking how he interrupted her. He saw the large demon hovering not far away. He did not see the mate though. He wondered absentmindedly where she was.

"Eh, well..." Nishi preempted. "It's just, really confusing... Just don't interrupt me," she added up to the detective. "At first, it was Ichiro. He stood there while the Great Hawk Spirit was behind him. I was terrified of him, to see him again, but he didn't want to use his dream walking nights. So I guess he gave them to the Great Hawk Spirit instead. She wants to use them and wanted to talk to me."

Hiei and the large demon exchanged a knowing glance with one another. The both knew why she could see her.

"I was told by him, who was told by her, to close my eyes, so I did. I didn't trust him, but I could trust her. She spoke to me, but I couldn't speak to her back. She said I could say as much as I want about what we said because no one could read my mind because she would block them. She, um, she told me three things..." She squirmed a little in her seat and then took a deep breath. "Firstly, that I need to stay here, in the Demon World, in Alaric," her voice got quieter, "with Hiei." As Hiei listened to him, he did not feel like he was significant enough for the bird to advise her so directly like that, whether he liked it or not.

"The second thing was, a kind of prophecy. But so vague. That both Hiei and I have to stop an attack against all three worlds. With others of course, but without both of us, we can't stop it..."

The detective tried to speak, but she silenced him with a look. "Just let me finish it all first. The third thing she told me was another prophecy of sorts. In a couple of years, if the worlds aren't destroyed of course, she said the Demon World was going to be changed 'irrevocably.' By three men. One out of desperation, one out of anger, and one out of preservation. Just that I'm only going to witness it all..."

She seemed to shrink into herself. "She gave me proof that our conversation really happened. Two things really. First, she removed the piece of Mukuro's soul from me. It really hurt. Then she gave me something else. A more tangible piece of evidence. Said I would need this feather for proof." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, brown feather, at most four inches long. Hiei felt the temptation to take it from her and examine it closer. He resisted the temptation, rather watching her run her finger across the center of it.

"So it was real?" the detective asked. "We need to find out who's ever planning the attack and stop them right now." He fixated on the threat to the three worlds. "did she tell you when and where the attack would happen?"

Nishi shook her head. "No clue. I couldn't move, let alone ask her."

The detective was shaken up. "I'll call Koenma," he decided. "If there's an attack coming, he'd know." He patted down his pockets, and swore. "I left my phone in my room." He stepped out quickly, going after it.

Nishi looked up at the large demon. "Do you think it's an immediate attack? Against the three worlds?"

The large demon had yet to take his eyes off of the feather in her hands. "It could be. But it might not. I wish she would have told you when the attack was coming." He changed the subject. "You weren't tortured again?" She shook her head, looking relieved. "You're sure?"

She nodded submissively. "Very sure. Ic-," she could not bring herself to say the doxy trainer's name. "He hardly spoke to me. And only then to relay her requests."

The large demon informed her, "you're screaming sounded the same as they did on radio. Especially the one over an hour ago."

She frowned and knitted her brow. "That was probably when Mukuo's piece of soul was removed."

The large demon gritted his teeth, deep in thought himself. "We have a prophecy that sounds like this, but I don't remember the wording. Something about an outside giving a warning of the future and a gift of a feather as proof. I just can't remember..."

Nishi seemed to pale slightly at that thought. She could be that outsider.

"Would Minha know?" Hiei asked the large demon. The large demon probably does not remember it, but the mate most certainly would. "Could the prophecy give a time estimate on the attack on the three worlds?"

He more or less just wanted the large demon to leave the room as well. He wanted to speak with Nishi alone, find out what she decided to do, and then to tell her his bastard status outside the clan.

Hiei stared at the large demon until he got that message. "She might," he said. "I'll ask her," he said, as he excused himself.

Once the two of them were alone, Hiei went to speak, but Nishi beat him too it, "how can you stand him?"

'Because of Minha,' he thought silently. "Do you want him as an enemy?" She twitched her lip and shook her head. "He's cocky and rude same as ever on the outside, but torn up about the mission on the inside. Blames himself for all that happened because he is ultimately their leader." Even though he relied heavily on the mate to do it.

She hummed under her breath. "I'm just scared we might need him if this mission is immediate."

He gave her hand in his a squeeze. He should tell her, but he had to know something more immediate first. "What did you decide to do?" he asked. She looked at him and then looked down. He sighed, trying not get short with her. "When you wouldn't wake up, even after screaming, I thought you were being tortured in a dream walk by Ichiro." He shuddered at the thought, feeling so relieved that she was fine and whole. "It was worse than when he had you the first time because I didn't know what was happening. I couldn't even reach you mentally to pull you out of it. She blocked me until I passed out from the effort with no idea what happened to you or what state you would be in when when you woke up. It was worse than when I thought you were going to die because I didn't know what was happening."

And yet she sat there, in front of him, alive, well, and whole. Completely and wholly herself. Mukuro was out of her soul. He had asked the bird mother to do that for Nishi when he was dying, and she did.

Nishi raised her head back up, looking him in the eye. She gasped quietly, stood up, got off of the couch, and walked away from him. She walked over to the fireplace, picked up a poker, and poked at the hot coals leftover from the fire she lit in there last night. Last night, after she refused to mate claim him. It seemed so long ago.

He took a steadying breath, about to tell her about being from the clan, but then the detective came back in. Hiei felt irked at the interruption. "Yo, Koenma has some questions for you." He tossed Nishi his phone and she managed to catch it in midair. She dropped the poker on the floor to do it though.

She brought the phone up to her ear. "Hello," she started and then winced.

Hiei could hear the prince's whiny voice, yelling at her about the doxy hunting. She did a mix of explaining, confronting, and pacifying the prince. She also explained about the two prophecies the bird mother gave him.

The conversation between the two of them droned on and on. He wanted that conversation to end, the detective to leave, and to be alone with Nishi.

"Hiei?" Nishi called over to him, breaking him out of his thoughts. The phone was still pressed against her ear. "Do you want to speak with Prince Koenma?" He shook his head to her. "No, Hiei doesn't want to either... You too- wait. When are Kurama, Midori, and Kouki coming back...? Tomorrow or so?... Ok... Ok... Yes, I will next time... Bye."

Nishi tossed the detective back her phone. "So now what?" the detective asked as he caught his phone with more grace, and put it back in his pocket.

"Koenma's going to try to find out about the imminent attack," Nishi explained. "We all need to be ready in case it happens soon."

The detective grumbled under his breath. "Please tell me king general won't be part of it? You two might jump to listen to him, but I sure as hell don't want to."

Nishi simply shrugged at him. "I would also prefer he wasn't a part of it. But we might need him."

"When's he and his soldiers leaving anyway?" the detective asked them both.

Hiei answered, knowing their plan from the mate. "They're waiting for Kouki and Midori to return. They'll leave soon after that."

"Good," the detective and Nishi said together.

"You can trust Minha," he told her. "Now that she's got what she wants. She's still a valuable ally."

"So she can blackmail us some more?" Nishi quipped. "Or curse me?"

"You gave her what she wanted, or at least enough of it for her to give up her vengeance between the two of us," Hiei explained.

For the detective's benefit, he explained about the mate's curse on him, the deal made to read Nishi's blood in return for the Demon King crown, and how the stranger got the answer without the payment, and then the mate's anger and attempt to drive a wedge between himself and Nishi.

"Not someone to cross, huh?" the detective said decisively. "You make some weird friends." To Nishi, he asked, "do you trust her?"

Nishi bit her lip. She looked over at Hiei, but spoke to the detective. "I trusted Yasha the most," she admitted. "And Hayate, even though he's such a prick, is loyal. Then Minha, but only as long as Hiei does."

A tense air hung over the room, shattered by an annoying and shrill sound. The detective pulled his ringing phone out of his pocket and made a sour face.

"Who is it?" Nishi asked.

The detective admitted, "Keiko..."

"You need to answer that," Nishi told him firmly. "It's not all the time that phone works between worlds. This might not be the first time she tried to call you either."

The detective scoffed. "Says the one who hacked our phones' software or whatever so we could make calls between worlds." The phone kept ringing. He sighed, stepped out of the room, and took the call.

That left the two of them alone together once more. This realization seemed to have settled on Nishi as well. "What did you decide to do?" he asked softly.

"About what?" she questioned him tiredly. She sat down on the arm of the couch nearest him. He would have preferred she sat right beside him. On top of him would have been fantastic.

He sighed. "Between us?" he asked just as sleepily.

"I... don't... know..." was all she said.

"Nishi," he breathed her nick name.

She closed her eyes slowly and then opened them again. "I don't know..." She sunk down onto the side of the couch, sitting there. She drew one knee up and rest an arm on it. Next, she brought one hand up by her lips. She settled down in that position.

"Do you want to be left alone?" he asked her tightly.

She did not say a word. Just sat there stiffly and non-responsively. He stood up and stepped over to stand in front of her. She looked up at him, half nervously, half pityingly. He reached his hand down, brushing a few stray hairs out of her face. He brought his hand down under her jaw. He bent down and kissed her softly.

When he stepped away from her, she said, "yes." She drew her other knee up in line with her first one. While she seemed to be feeling vulnerable, at least she did not seem ready to weep.

He did not like her answer, but conceded. "Then I'll make sure that happens," he promised.

He left the room without another word exchanged between them. After shutting the door, he leaned against it, slowly letting himself sink down to the floor. He sat with his knees up, but legs splayed. His forearms rested on his knees. He brought his head up to lean against the door, and closed his eyes. He felt so weak still and worn out. He could easily fall asleep here and now. Now that she was safe, even in her sleep, he felt drained. The bird mother told her in a dream walk to stay and even that had not yet convinced her yet. He heard no sounds from the room, so at least she was not upset.

"Hey, why are you on the floor?" he heard the detective's voice ask.

He reopened his eyes and looked up at the detective looming over him. "She wants left alone."

The detective squatted down next to him. "I didn't hear any yelling, so it must have been an amicable request," he observed.

Hiei nodded. "I told her I wouldn't let anyone bother her," he explained hollowly.

The detective smiled in a cheeky grin. "Because she's still not sure how pissed at you she should be given everything that's happened and everything that's been brought to light?" Hiei just looked at him, annoyed that if Nishi were hearing this conversation, she herself would be just as irritated by it. "Because a goddess-like bird reaper came to her in a dream and told her to stay with you, and she still can't make up her mind?"

"What do you know?" Hiei responded, trying not to have a nasty tone.

"How did you giant, blonde friend put it?" the detective rambled. "'She's your weakness.' Didn't Mukuro warn you once not to let that happen too?"

"What's your point?" Hiei asked defeatedly.

"That you're still in love with her, but suck at being direct about it. Telling her is too difficult, but guarding a door isn't. Hatching a plan to make her live as long as you do is easy, but is way easier to do behind her back because it might not work out." The detective stood up. "All these years, and you haven't quite figured out a way to talk to her in a way that keeps her calm when she'd rather pout or whine or rage. Let me talk to her."

"No," Hiei told him, standing up, yet staying in front of the door. "She wants to be alone."

"And I'll make sure to tell her you said that, but that I insisted." He reached passed Hiei and knocked on the door.

"Yusuke..." Hiei growled his name under his breath.

Before either of them could say anything, Nishi opened the door. Hiei turned around to stand next to the detective so he could face her. She had changed into a fresh pair of clothes.

"What do you want?" she asked the pair of them. "And is it really necessary to talk so loud right in front of the door?"

The detective pushed passed her and into the room, almost rudely. "To talk is all. Just you and me."

Nishi frowned, looking at Hiei and then over to the detective. "Yusuke, can I just get a moment alone?" she half whined.

"I know," the detective replied, sitting himself down on the couch. "He did say to leave you alone too, so if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me."

Nishi took one last glance at Hiei's direction before shutting the door. "What do you want exactly, Yusuke? I'm tired and don't want to talk now," he heard her muddle voice whinged.

Hiei stepped away from the door after that, not feeling comfortable with the idea of overhearing anything else between them this time.


	124. Chapter 124

Nishi still kept to herself the rest of that day. After lunch, the detective reappeared. He pulled Hiei aside, telling him to take it slow and be patient. And talk to her in a way where she keeps her guard down so she cannot get defensive. Whatever that all meant.

After that, Hiei asked after the doctor, wondering why he had not seen him since before his leg was healed. The detective told him the doctor had left the night before to work on his vaccine. He thought about how Nishi would actually be sad to see him go so soon and so abruptly.

Yet just as abruptly the doctor left, the fox, healer, sprite, and the sprite's newborn baby returned to the castle the following morning. Apparently the healer and sprite intended to become mates. Another post mortem goal achieved by the stranger. Their arrival managed to shake Nishi out of her seclusion. She was silent though and did not interact with others much. The sprite did try though, insisting Nishi hold the newborn, so as to show the sprite how to do it properly. Nishi did not hold the newborn very long though and looked rather forlorn when she passed her back to the sprite. Too bad it did not last very long as Hiei considered it a good image.

Surprisingly, the sprite was well rested enough that the large demon, well, really, the mate, decided all of the clan would leave that day. The large demon tried to insist on leaving before lunch, but it did not work out. So they were finally ready to leave after that.

The lot of them were making final preparations to leave after that. Hiei and the others watched them go. He watched the large demon and the mate arguing off to the side in low tones. He wondered what they could be arguing about. He decided when things calm down between him and the mate and the large demon, he would seek the mate out to discuss what he had discovered from his near death experience.

Right now, he was more worried about what Nishi wanted to do. She was standing at a distance from him, right next to the fox.

Or at least she was until the large demon huffed away from the mate and headed towards where the sprite, the healer, and the coward were standing. Nishi was moving towards them too. The large demon got there first. Hiei watched both of them, wondering what they were doing.

The large demon walked right up to the coward, grabbed his bag by his feet, and shoved it at his chest. The coward looked shocked. "Remove anything that isn't a personal belonging."

"Why?" the coward croaked. "What for my lord?"

The large demon gritted his teeth. "Not reporting your lost ear piece jeopardized the mission and nearly killed two of our allies. Minha and I have decided that was your last strike of cowardice. Provisional exile until we meet with the rest of the council to decide your fate."

Hiei kept his face neutral, but internally disagreed with the mate's overriding decision. The coward was stupid, but not deserving of exile. It was a little extreme to pass that sentence.

Nishi had brushed past the sprite and the healer and reached the large demon and the coward just as the coward dropped his bag in shock. "You have got to be kidding me," Nishi reacted.

'Stay out of it,' Hiei thought to himself. She was putting herself into the middle of something she should stay out of.

The large demon turned his harsh gaze on her. "This doesn't concern you," he said dismissively.

She pushed herself between the two of them, facing the large demon. She was barely holding back her own temper. "He risked his life, same as you. Same as the rest of them." She gestured to the other clansmen.

The large demon growled down at her, "he's the reason Ichiro was able to track our movements and nearly killed you and your mate."

Nishi should have backed down, but she did not. "If Ichiro hadn't been exiled, the doxy attacks would have never happened. And now you're giving the same punishment to Hotaka. Are you insane? What would your mother think?" She looked ready to snap.

The large demon himself looked livid. "Mind your tongue," he ordered her with as much authority as he could.

Nishi studied the large demon, seething. She looked back at the coward, looking upon him with immeasurable pity. She turned back to the large demon.

'Don't,' Hiei thought, seeing her hand twitch.

She moved so fast, she could not possibly have had time to think what she did over. She slapped the large demon across his face.

'Damn it,' Hiei seethed internally. 'Don't turn your back on him,' he thought additionally.

He watched her turn her back on the large demon, who was snarling. She was busy handing the coward his bag and promising he could stay with them. That was undesirable too on Hiei's part. At least it was better than exile for him.

The large demon was shaking. He conjured up a knife from his spirit energy. Next, he wrapped his hand around Nishi's hair three quarters the way down its length, yanking her head back forcefully. He brought his spirit knife across her hair, cutting off all the hair below her hand. Hiei felt himself want to start shaking at the sight of it. It was an insult, labeling her a coward, which just was not true. Hiei looked cautiously over at the mate with her three guards standing there. The beauty was not worth touching, but the other two guards were unknown. The male had less value gender wise than the female. If this escalated anymore, he might have to retaliate. Attack a mate for attacking a mate. Or at least threaten it by attacking one of the mate's guards.

Nishi had turned around to face the large demon. He threw the locks of her hair down on the ground between them. She escalated it by taking out her dragon as an ax, looking ready to strike him again, this time with her weapon.

Hiei intervened. Moving swiftly, he drew his sword, cut down the male guard, and was back standing next to the fox within one second. He watched the large demon intently. His hand was on his sword.

Then the mate spoke, "hey, what happened to Kaede?"

The large demon took his eyes off of Nishi and over to the mate. He saw the dead male guard on the ground. The beauty and the female guard took a defensive stance around the mate. The large demon looked taken aback. Hiei kept his eyes trained on the large demon, trying to get him to turn and look at him now.

"Uh, I actually like him," the mate said.

The large demon finally looked over at him. "Wasn't a very good guard," Hiei called over to the large demon.

The large demon backed down. He took his hand off of his sword and straightened up. He turned away from Nishi and went over to the mate. Hiei could tell the large demon was watching him carefully.

The beauty meanwhile had bent down and picked up the dead male guard.

The large demon announced loudly, "anyone who is going home with me, let's get moving." To the mate, he whispered, "stay close." He was half dragging her next to him.

The lot of them left on those orders, the beauty bringing the dead male guard with her. Now going to the clan was going to have to be put off longer, if not even possible anymore. Thanks to Nishi's interference. Delays on sorting out this mystery.

Nishi meanwhile had summoned away her dragon and was kneeling on the ground next to the weeping coward. The detective brazenly shouted at her, complimenting her 'super slap.' She looked over at the detective, shutting him up with that scowl.

Nishi turned her attention back to the coward, who was now leaning on her. Nishi raised her head back up at Hiei. She looked unsure of herself.

She turned back to the coward. "Come on," she said, softly, but firmly. "Crying on the ground won't help you any." She half helped, half forced him to stand up.

The coward clearly did not want to move. Nishi could not keep him on his feet for more than a few steps before he collapsed to his knees. Hiei sighed under his breath. He walked to the pair of them, yanking the coward to his feet.

"Move," he told the coward, taking him by the forearm and leading him into the castle.

"We've got it from here," Nishi said, halting Hiei after they entered the castle. He saw that the innocent one was right behind her all of a sudden. "This requires a delicate touch," she said with a undertone.

He stepped away from the trio of them, watching them go. He gritted his teeth at the sight of her shortened hair. She was anything but a coward. He heard and noticed the fox, detective, and oaf come in behind him. He heard the detective and oaf make a handful of partially snarky comments, but Hiei ignored them. He felt a wave of sleepiness role over him.

"Give them both time and distance," the fox told him discreetly. "It'll increase their chances of staying put."

"Hn," Hiei acknowledged his words.

Nishi stuck with the coward, consoling him with the help of the innocent one. The three of them were distant from the others the rest of that day and into the evening. Nishi herself came and got three meals at dinner time and then later brought one back half touched and one back completely untouched.

When she went to go back to the coward, the detective managed to get her to promise to come to the library in an hour as a send off before he, the oaf, and the fox left tomorrow.

Since Nishi helped with the coward, Hiei helped the nannies with the twins. His girl seemed to enjoy that especially. So did her boy, but in a quiet, almost unnoticeable way.

Afterwards, he went to the library to grudgingly be with the detective, oaf, and fox for their 'send off.' Hiei half paid attention to all that was going on and being said. Nishi still had not showed up in the library. He dozed off, leaning his down on the back of the couch he was sitting on.

He jumped awake when the detective shouted jubilantly. Hiei looked up, seeing a somber looking Nishi walk into the library. She sat down on the same couch as Hiei but as far away from him as she could get. The detective silently threw her a shaded look. Her nose twitched, and then slid over on the couch to sit beside Hiei, crossing her arms and slouching.

The detective also prodded her to have a drink, which she did, but only one. She sipped at the drink he gave her, but did not finish it.

She set her drink down on the coffee table in front of her, engaging with the others minimally, but more than he did. She dozed off next to him. The detective kicked her foot, calling her lame and telling her not only to go to bed, but also claim the bed before Hiei could. She bid the lot of them goodnight before heading to bed herself.

Hiei followed her soon after that. When he entered their rooms, he saw that she had settled down to sleep on the couch in their sitting room still, but with a warmer blanket gathered around her. She had been laying down with her eyes opened, but she opened her eyes to look over at him to see him come through the door.

"Take the bed," he told her softly. She shook her head. He wanted to insist, but remembered the advice given him by the detective to not rail against her. "It's more comfortable." She shook her head a second time.

He said no more to her, leaving her be as the fox advised. He took the bed for himself, tempted to get her into the bed next to him one way or another. She would have to come and stay on her own free will though. No curse or anything like that could make her do what he wanted now. Made him wish she had been cursed to love him after all, rather than it going to someone else, likely Mukuro. And even that, he would never know. Free will was tricky and less desirable when it went against his desires.

The next day, the oaf and the detective slept late. They were supposed to leave in the morning, but had slept so late, the detective insisted on eating lunch first. Then spending a bit more time with Nishi one on one. The fox especially seemed annoyed at the delay, but did not express it verbally.

Finally after also staying for dinner, the oaf insisted they headed back to the Human World afterwards. The detective gave into this reluctantly, and the fox looked relieved.

The five of them headed down to the lower basement, which contained their portal to the Human World. The detective kept up chatter with Nishi that she seemed only half to listen to. When they reach the portal, Nishi hugged each one of them in turn while they said their goodbyes. Nishi hugged the detective last and longest.

"Well now that I've visited you, you're gonna have to visit me soon then," the detective told her when they broke apart.

She shifted her weight on her feet. "Hmm, you'll see me real soon."

The detective gave a heavy look, almost disappointed like. "What? Why?" he asked her.

She cracked a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "Because you still owe me money."

The detective looked a mix of relieved, but also annoyed. "Oh, come on. With all that has happened? Crazy demon trainer wasn't a part of the deal."

Nishi gave me a slightly cocky look. "My side killed all the remaining doxies that day. Pay up."

The detective studied her before grumbling. "Alright, fine. You'll have to come get it yourself though." He winked after he finished speaking.

"I will," she whispered.

Next, the detective half pushed, half guided her to stand next to Hiei. He backed away from the pair of them. With one last farewell, the three of them stepped into the portal and were gone in an instant.

The silence around them after the portal went dormant was oppressive. Nishi broke it by gasping for air. She shook her head slightly, and then sprinted from the room.

He followed after her, but did not intentionally catch up to her or even stop her until she stopped. She had run to their rooms, to their bedroom, and had thrown down a bag at her feet. She stood before her dresser. He came up behind her cautiously, like he would a frightened rabbit.

She opened one of her dresser drawers, but froze still when he came behind her and rested his hands on her hips. "You've decided," he said softly, not wanting to believe it.

She stood up straighter, shifting her weight on one leg. Surprisingly, she kicked the bag by her feet away and then slammed the dresser drawer she had just opened shut.

She turned around without hardly escaping his hands on her hips. "To stay," she moused.

In surprise of her words, he pressed himself against her, pinning her to the dresser. He kissed her without even a thought.

He broke her kiss, but did not hardly move away from her. "Don't make me regret it," she said with begging tone.

He leaned his forehead against her shoulder, promising, "I won't."

He listened to her steady yet swift breathing for the span of a few breaths. She was staying. Willingly. The detective and even the great mother had advised her to do it, but they did not make this decision for her. She had made it herself.

She took one more extra deep breath, warning him, "you should probably get on the bed then." He looked back up at her, trying to make since of her words. "Before I change my mind yet again." He studied her face, seeing her bite her lower lip. He started to back away from her and to towards the bed. "Not so fast," she said, following him.

She stopped him half way to the bed, taking off his scarf and cloak. She looked determined, apprehensive, and even... lustful. He braved cracking a smirk at the fact that she had not only decided to stay, but also desired him here and now. Maybe even after this, she could mate claim in a few days or even a week.

Once his scarf and cloak were gone, she pushed him backwards until his legs came up against the bed. Not quite sure what she was planning exactly, but he let her guide him as she wished. She pushed him to sit and then to lay his upper body down on the bed. She sat down next to him on the bed and started to undo the two white belts he had cinched up around his waist. At first he thought she was just undoing his pants, but when she started to yank the top belt from around his pants, he realized what she was intending to do: she was going to mate claim him. Tonight.

He brought his hands down to his belts, helping her to hurry up, undo them and remove them. When she finally had the belts in her hand, he sat up. He hastily tugged off his shirt and crawled backwards until he was at the head of the bed. He laid his down on his pillow and brought both of his hands down by his head.

He wanted this. It was all so sudden, but he had wanted it for weeks. Ever since she had bitten his neck and broke his skin during that fiasco of a Demon King Tournament. He already felt hard. His mouth was salivating at the idea of not only her biting him tonight, but the desire to bite her as well. For the pleasure and the taste of it, rather than the necessity of it to encourage his survival.

That was why he had to be tied down. If he was not tied down, his instincts might kick in and he might attack her when she bit him. Hopefully he was still too weak from recovering from doxy poison to slip into his wild demon form and attack her. Even without that occurring, he might attack her anyway. He needed tied down to prevent that from happening.

Which was what she was doing right then and there. She was binding his left wrist to the bed, but not tight enough. He felt confident that if he lost control, he would break free too easily.

"Tighter," he instructed her. "The tighter they are, the harder it will be for me to break free. And we don't want that."

She looked down at him with a soft gaze. He smiled at the sight of it. Fierce when she needed to be, gentle when she wanted to be. She redid the left wrist binding, making his hand feel like it was about to go numb. She did the same with the right wrist, making it so tight it hurt.

She looked down at his hand, almost as if she felt like she was hurting him. He would do worse if he lost control and attacked her. "Better."

She nodded down at him. After that, she straddled him, leaning down and kissing him deeply. She was shaking over top of him and panting deeply. "Neck first?" she asked him, looking down at him. Such a soft, angelic face.

He shook his head, saying, "leave it to last." It was the most sensitive spot she would bite and he wanted that pleasure last before he came.

"Ok," she agreed.

She bent her head back down to him, giving him a quick peck on his lips. She then trailed kisses from his lips and down his neck. She gave her mate bite there a soft kiss that sent shivers down his spine. She moved on to his chest. She touch the right side of his chest with a barely there hand. She was going to bite him on his chest first. She brought her mouth down to the top half of his chest on the right side. She kissed the chosen spot two times before she brought her eye teeth down to rest on his skin. She held her breath, biting down on the area shakily, but lacked the intensive force necessary.

"Harder," he shuddered out. He arched his back up closer to her mouth.

She closed her eyes tightly, biting down harder while twisting her jaw. He moaned when he felt her tooth pierce his flesh. She drank only a few drops of blood before pulling away in an almost hurry. He saw a red spot on her lower lip that she wiped away without really thinking about it. He felt himself salivate, thinking about how her blood tasted when he bit her in bed. He wanted it. Now. He tugged at his bonds, even though he was thankful they held.

"You need to move quickly," he warned her. If she was quick enough, he would be able to keep control of both his desire to bite her and his desire to come that was building deep within him.

She nodded down at him. She striped him down completely beneath her. He wanted her, wanted to overpower her. He had claimed her, but wanted to do it now all over again. He could not think clearly beyond those two desires.

She was doing anything when she needed to hurry this mate claim up before he broke free and attacked her. She was looking down at his harden, swollen cock, unsure of herself. She was unsure where to bite him. He kept his tone from biting when he said, "at the base. Off to the right side." She nodded wordlessly. She bent her mouth down to where he indicated, but did not bite him. He felt her hot breath sending shivers across his skin. "That'll work. Bite. Now." He twisted his wrists, wanting so badly to break either the leather or the wood holding him down.

She hesitated, counting under her breath. Then she bit him, with more intention and force than she had with his chest. He cried out in a mix of pain and pleasure that came with that bite. He just wished he could inside her after that. He pulled harder at his bonds, bending his elbows in a way that could break the wood. He wanted her and he wanted her blood. He was starting not to care if she finished the claim anymore.

She brought her mouth down and around his already sensitive cock. It nearly finished him then and there.

"Don't," he begged. "Oh... don't... I'm so close."

She pulled away in a rush, looking a bit frightened. She studied him with a soft, but now more... curious and mischievous look in her. She sat up and pulled off her shirt. The sight of her firm, toned form exposed to him, for him, was too much. He closed his eyes, trying not to think of how badly he wanted to bite her and then fuck her.

He felt her move about the bed, but he did not open his eyes, would not let himself. Even when she brought herself down on top of him. When she bent down to kiss him, his eyes shot open. When she pulled away, he went for her neck without thinking.

Surprisingly, she stopped him with a firm, almost painful grip on his jaw. He wanted her. Now. Blood or body. Either one would do now. Tugged on his bonds, but half heartedly.

"Don't try that again," she told him.

The look she gave him both aroused and a nerved him. She needed her to hurry, but she seemed like she wanted to toy with him now. She rubbed against him teasingly. She kissed him once more and shook her hand to let his jaw go.

She was teasing him so boldly, dominating him when she needed to finish the claim before finishing him. "Finish it," he pleaded, turning his head to expose his neck mate bite to her. "Nishi," he panted her name as she began to rub his cock with her hand.

He wanted her to reclaim the bite on his neck. Only her. Without any sign or hint of soul possession in her. She hummed teasingly down at him.

He pulled at his bonds, wanting to be free. Wanting to take her someway, somehow. "I'm too close," he wanted her to finish the mate claim. "Too close," he admitted.

"Ok," she said demurely.

Before he could even feel relieved though, she sat up and slid him inside of her, nearly finishing him then and there before she finished the claim. She had to bite his neck one last time before he came or else the claim would be go unfinished.

He hissed at her, annoyed yet thrilled with how she was touching him. "I can't hold back. Too close."

She slowed down on top of him, but did not stop. She reached down and stroked her bite on his neck, musing, "awe, want me to bite here now?"

He tugged on his bonds. He heard an imperceptible crack from the right side. The left wrist was still bound fast, but he had a chance with his right one. He could break his right hand free if he tried hard enough. Break free, pull her shoulder down, and sink his teeth into it.

"Yes," he breathed, closing his eyes and trying to bate back his desire to bite or come or break free.

He felt her hot breath come down by the side of his face. Not close enough to his neck to bite him. What was she doing now?

"Beg," she ordered him. She keep going at a slow, but anguishing pace.

He told himself silently not to pull, not to bite, not to come, not even to breath too deeply. "Nanashi," he sighed her name.

"Beg," she insisted.

"Please," he obeyed. He twisted his right wrist, hearing the wood from the bed frame crack and splinter. She did not even notice. He hardly breathed, trying to command each desire coursing through him to desist. And he was losing.

"Please what?" she said in an almost displeased tone. She moved her mouth down to neck, hovering over his mate bite. She licked the bite when he wanted her to bite it.

The thrills of pleasure that move sent through him nearly finished him then and there. He moaned, nearly screaming as he focused on not doing that. "Oh fuck..." He let his desire to break his right hand free intensify now that he was not focused on it. He heard the wood groan. If she did that again, he would lose it. "Bite my neck..." he panted out. "Now please. Before it is too late."

He could only hold one desire at bay, and it had to be the desire to come, just long enough for her to drink his blood. Once she did that he could give in. He still wanted her blood though. From her neck now, not her shoulder. The neck was sweeter, pumped with a more concentrated amount of blood than her shoulder. He yanked as hard as he could on his right wrist, making the wood sound a loud crack. He heard her gasp.

Everything else that followed happened so fast. Then, finally, she bit down on his neck, breaking the skin and drawing his blood in one stroke. He let himself give into the desire to come then, not holding it back. He then retook the desire to bite her under control, even after he broke his wrist free from its bond, bring the belt and a splintered portion of the bed frame with him. It was like half of him went after her neck while the other half shoved her upper body away before his teeth could land a bite. His teeth did land on flesh and sunk into it, but the blood that flooded his mouth as he came inside of her was familiar, but undesired.

When she pulled away from him, he felt first the wetness and pain in his right hand. He had shoved her away with it, so when he went to bite her, he bit himself instead. Had he not felt so relaxed, blissed out, or exhausted, he would have laughed at the sheer irony of it. Instead, he basked in the feeling flooding through him that he had been claimed. Not only had she stayed, she had wanted him, desired him, and insistently, teasingly, dominantly, and almost cruelly, had taken him. She took him the way an experienced, powerful demoness would have. It was both hot and amazing.

"Yours," he mouthed silently in his dozing form. His right hand still twinged, but was hardly a concern in this moment. Nor was the fact that his right wrist was still bond to a broken wood from the bed frame. Nor was the fact that his left wrist was still squarely bond to the bed frame, just was it was when they started.

He could hear Nishi moving about at a slow and steady pace. He heard and felt her settle down on the bed next to him. She untied his left wrist from the bedpost and rubbed his hand, wrist, and forearm gently. Then she undid the belt and broken wood around his right wrist. He heard the belts and wood plop down to the ground by the bed.

Next, he heard and felt her leave the bed. When she came back, she had sat down on the bed beside him. She wiped his bit hand off with a warm and wet hand towel. He laid there and let her do as she pleased. He heard a wet slop on the floor. Next, he felt Nishi take his hand and bandaged it. Tight, but not too tight.

He gave a hearty sigh. "Starting your training as a healer now?" he asked. The idea of her becoming a healer was intriguing.

She gave a small laugh. "Yeah, and Minha can be my mentor. Is she any good?"

She brought the blankets over them and laid down close beside him. He wanted to fall asleep then and there, but they were not quite finished yet. He had not pleasured her when he claimed her, but he was determined to do it here and now that she claimed him.

He turned over to her, bringing his left hand down on her thigh. He pulled her leg towards him, giving himself better access to her center. She adjusted herself so she lay on her back and spread her legs a little wider as he petted her thighs and front. She lay still beneath him, breathing heavily. When he brought his mouth down to kiss her shoulder, she flinched.

He kissed up her shoulder to her neck, face, and behind her ear. He wanted to bite her, but figured out after the way he went after her neck, it was not a good idea. "Don't worry," he whispered. He sought out and found her clit, teasing it as he explained. She began panting heavily. "I may desire to bite you right now," he admitted, "but I think I can resist the temptation." He shifted his hand down to tease her opening. "I was a very bad mate when I claimed you," he confessed. She spread her legs wider for him, so he slid two fingers inside of her. She gasped, tightening around him instantly. He wanted to fall asleep, but he wanted this more. He fingered her hard and fast, a quick but intense way for her. "I didn't let you come then. I was too focused on my own pleasure. I'll let you come now, if you want it." She arched her neck, moaning louder now. She pulled her legs together the most she could with his fingers inside of her. She turned to him, gripping his shoulder and left forearm tightly. She turned her upper body so her head came to rest heavily against his chest. She whimpered, trembling at his touch now. "I'm tired. Once you come, then I can go to sleep," he teased, knowing full well she was almost there. He went faster, pulling her right to the brink and did not slow down. She screamed and whimpered against his chest. He slid his fingers out of her, feeling her tremble from the aftershocks. He laughed down at her, asking, "how was that?"

She was breathing deep, eyes closed. He leaned down, kissing the top of her head gently. She raised her head up, bringing her mouth up to his, kissing him sweetly. She was here, she was his, and now, irrevocably, he was hers. Difficulties or not, they could work through them. She was perfect; stubborn, strong, tender, sweet, perfect.

"I love you," he said, before the chanced moment could pass or get interrupted like it had in the past. He reached down to her face, brushing the stray hairs from her face.

"I know," she murmured mousily.


	125. Chapter 125

Hiei felt a shock of awareness hit him all at once. He was in a limbo, dream like state, the same one he had seen when the stranger dream walked into his dream. Before him was the doxy trainer, a good ten feet away. Another ten feet away behind him was the bird.

"You," he growled at the doxy trainer, who stood there all smug. "You tortured her. My mate. Let's see how you like it."

Hiei reached down to his left hip for his sword, but in this dream, it was not there. His fists were though. He charged at the doxy trainer, who looked taken aback. Hiei nearly reached him when he felt something slam into his side, knocking him sideways to the ground. He rolled with the momentum and charged the doxy trainer again, determined to be faster than whatever knocked him to the side, be it from the dream walk or the bird or whatever it was. He got half way to the doxy trainer, he was knocked sideways again, this time hitting the ground harder. He winced when his right arm hit the ground first. In real life, it would have been sprained or broken. He rubbed it absentmindedly.

He looked up, seeing the bird standing between himself and the doxy trainer. Her head was bent low and her wings unfurled. She was larger than she looked last time he saw her. A giant in her own right. She hissed at him. "Desist," she ordered.

"Stay out of this," he hissed back more venomously. "He tried to kill my mate. He killed several of his own people."

She stood guard over the doxy trainer relentlessly. He stayed still, staring the bird down. He wished he had his sword. She probably did not let him have it. He charged the bird full on, determining he would have to take her out to get to the doxy trainer, which was just fine to him. She knocked him to the side with a swipe of her wing.

He hit the ground, rolling, but was back on his feet as fast as he could. She was cheating. She had to be. She was in the way and she controlled the dream. That was the only way she was able to shirk him off so easily.

She moved imperceptibly to be suddenly standing between him and the doxy trainer. "Get out of my way," he bit, blinking back the redness in his vision.

She shook her head. "You will not kill your brother," she replied curtly. "He was already executed for his crimes. You will not kill his soul for the same ones too."

"Liar!" he shouted at her. "He's not my brother!"

"You were born outside of the clan, with a mother who was an outsider and a father who was born outside. He was born inside the clan with both parents who were insiders," the bird explained. "He is your brother. You will not harm him in this dream."

He charged straight at her, feinting to go to the left and around her at the last second in order to attack the doxy trainer. She hit him hard with her beak this time, sending him flat on his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs. His rib cage ached. He rolled over, pulling himself to his feet.

"He tortured my mate," he grumbled at the bird. "He nearly raped her. He killed many of your precious children. Get out of my way."

The bird shook her head. "He's already died for his crimes. You will not punish for them a second time."

"Move or I will kill you before I kill him," he threatened. "Or better yet, both of you at the same time." He flexed his right arm, trying to summon up his dragon to burn both of them.

The bird shot out her wings and bent her head down in line of sight with him. She hissed and clicked her beak at him, challenging him, daring him to try. He reached for his dragon, feeling the heat radiate on his arm, only to burn out suddenly. He stared down in shock at his right arm. The heat was gone, he could not even feel his dragon anymore. He closed his eyes, trying to summon it back up, feeling the heat dance against his skin, only to flame out and disappear.

She clicked her beak at him. "Desist. Before I make you desist." He shook his head, trying as hard as possible to summon his dragon. "Last warning, my child."

He felt the heat radiate on his arm. He concentrated whole-heartedly on keeping the heat in existence, trying to pull up the flames and attack. She flew at him, knocking him back down to the ground. He seethed when he felt his head slam down on the ground, rattling his teeth.

She stood over him, talons on either side of his waist. "Stay down," she commanded him. "Very rarely is a child foolish enough to attack me or try to attack a brother or a sister in a dream walk. I control this dream. You will never be able to overpower me here."

Hiei began to push himself up with his hands in defiance. She brought her talon down, locking it around his upper right arm. He kicked at her and tried to pull away, twisting sideways. When he wretched his arm forward, he felt her yank it back with a punishing, brutal force. A sickening crack reached his ears just before the pain reached his mind. He gave an inhaled, ragged gasp. The pain that radiated from his shoulder ripped through him, but subsided when he stayed still. When the bird tightened her grip, the pain redoubled, striking him anew. He felt like he was going to be sick all while being barely able to breathe.

She let him go. He pushed himself to sit up with his left hand. He looked down at his right arm, at his dislocated shoulder. His arm hung at a sickening angle. He could only half think straight.

"Stay down," she ordered him ruefully. "Otherwise, you have another shoulder and two knees that are still in tact," she threatened.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Then grabbed his upper right arm, and twisted it, forcing the bones beneath back into realignment. He groaned, panting against the pain that shot through his arm and chest at the move. He heard a resounding pop that should have offered him instant relief. He dropped his left arm on the ground and opened his eyes, expecting to see his right shoulder properly relocated. He gasped, seeing his right shoulder still hanging at the same wrong angle, when he had for certain relocated it through all that pain and adjustment.

"You bitch," he swore up at her. "Fix it. Now."

She shook her head at him. "You can fix it after I let you wake up." He moved to stand, but winced involuntarily as the movement made his shoulder shoot with pain. Attacking her now would only lead to more pain. "If you had behaved yourself, I wouldn't done that." He stared up at her ruefully. "Are you ready to listen?"

He turned his head back to look at the doxy trainer, sitting cross legged off to the side of them, looking bored. He bit at one of his fingernails absentmindedly. Hiei hated the sight of his soul being whole. He wanted more than anything to get up and destroy his soul, permanently.

The bird got in his face, hissing menacingly. "Listen to me, my child. I have important things to tell you." She rose back to a standing form. "I would have preferred to communicate with your mate, but you are easier to ensnare. Her mind is so foreign, I can hardly get to it. Besides, you can talk with me, while she is too foreign and too much an outsider to converse with."

Hiei looked up at her ruefully. "You keep away from her so long as you're dragging him around with you."

The bird looked down at him, as if enjoying his words. "Loyal. And fiercely so," she commented. "Outsiders fall outside of my knowledge, the ones who are born outside the clan. I can't find them or sense them until they die or nearly die. Once I saw you, sensed you the first time when Katsura the electric demon nearly killed you-"

Hiei interrupted her. "He did not nearly kill me."

She gave him a disconcerting look. "You heard me behind you that day. The sound of beating wings behind your back. You were too angry with Ayane for killing Kastura when you wanted to." She gave him a studying look while silence settled around them. " You're quiet," she commented. "So you know I'm right.

"I found you that day and sensed you for the first time. Seeing your ancestral lineage, just the face of those who were mine, and the backs of those who turned me away. And your existence.

"There was a rift generations back in the clan, a royal brother tried to steal his cousin's birthright. From the son of Takashi the Black. The rightful heir's father died before he could inherit the gunju-ship. Hayate, nicknamed Hayate the rebel, was the cousin. Isamu II, the rightful heir, kept control over his clan and birth right, fighting, defeating, and exiling Hayate the rebel. The exile was necessary and appropriately done." Her last sentence held some bite, but wasn't directed at him.

She continued, "after Hayate the rebel was exiled, he never went back. He turned his back on the clan. And on me. He had a child with full outsider, but after that child and the preceding generations down to you, I never saw their faces. None of them had near death experiences like you. When they died, I came for them. Their backs were turned on me. Except for one, none of them turned back to me. Including your father."

He tried to read her mind to get an image of what his father looked like, but he got nothing out of her mind. "What did he look like? What kind of demon was he?" he said, finding his voice.

She shook her head. "I don't know. I only saw the back of him. Could have been any kind. After Hayate the Rebel left, I have no idea what kind of demons his descendants were, bar you and your sister."

He looked over her and her suddenly somber demeanor. "Who was the one who turned back?" he asked, wanting to know who of his ancestors had turned around to her. He had given up that desire to know long ago, but now that it was in front of him, asking was worthwhile.

Her face softened as she delicately spoke, "a child, a son, who was conceived, but never born... A fiery child whose heat burned deep within him. I thought, incorrectly now it seems, his mother had been an ice demon." He figured out what she was hinting at before she had added, "You're son... Had you actually died either one of those times you nearly did, would you have?" He did not answer her. "Or you would continue to demand to be allowed to live? To demand the foreign soul removed from your mate?"

"Then why bother removing it?" he asked her softly, his tone portraying his sobered mood. He shifted his legs involuntarily. Moving like that sent a twinge up through his dislocated shoulder. A reminder that the pain was still there.

"Because you need to stay with aligned with the clan. You and your mate have managed to intertwine your fates with theirs. I can't see everything, but the future is shifting and changing. I've seen futures where without your alliance, the destruction so much..." She stared off into the distance behind him. She snapped her attention back to him. "But maintain your distance from Hayate VII and Minha for now. The clan is divided over things that have been brought out into the open. You and your mate must stay away for now. Especially for her. She's too foreign for some of them right now, especially those who dislike outsiders and refugees. It would be dangerous for her. Let them come to you and invite you back.

"The future is not set in stone. Things change. The prophecy I gave your mate, the one about the three men who will irrevocably change the Demon World stands. But the one about the attack on the three worlds has changed. Only the Human World is the target now. It's seen as the unholy world for those who wish to destroy it. For letting peaceful demons enter that world. This attack is coming. And soon. Without you or your mate there, it will not be stopped. The Human World, your mate's home world, will be destroyed. You mustn't let that happen."

"Who are the attackers? When are they attacking? How exactly are we supposed to stop them?" he asked his questions in a rush.

The bird looked off at a distance for a bit before she spoke. "They're humans. Many of them. They see the Demon World as a source of evil. For some reason, they believe that if they destroy the Human World and the demons within it, they will be rewarded richly in the afterlife." She shook her head. "I don't know when, beyond that it is sooner rather than later. There are so many futures intersecting. And changing. You and a group can stop them by splitting up into two teams. The rest, I can't see or figure out...

"Child," she said, snapping her attention back down to him. "Determined, loyal, lovable child..." she murmured. "I'm glad I found you, lost once by being an exile's descendant. I fear your mate is rather worried about you being asleep so long. I should let you go before she worries too much. Otherwise, I would keep you longer."

He froze as he watched get closer to him. She knelt down to him after that, brushing her beak on the side of his face and bringing her right wing half around his left side and shoulder, careful not to jar his right shoulder and arm. His closed his at the awkward, yet peacefulness of it.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in his and Nishi's bed, bright morning light streaming through the window. He looked over to the side, seeing the innocent one pacing and muttering under her breath. She stopped mid-step when he hissed through his teeth. She looked over at him, unsure what to do or say beyond stare at him wide eyed.

He looked down at his right shoulder. It was still misaligned, aching from the dislocation and being left that way for who knew how long. He leaned over his to his left side to sit himself upright. He reached his left arm over to the top of his right arm. He closed his eyes, gripped the top of his right arm, and forced it back into place. He gnashed his teeth, biting back the desire to shout at the pain that shot through him.

"My lord," the innocent one called over to him questioningly. "What happened to your arm?" she asked, stepping cautiously over to him. She stared down his arm. He had his hand still wrapped up the way Nishi did it last night. He also noticed he had four bruising stripes across his upper arm. Three over the top and one across the bottom. Easily he knew where he got those marks.

He shook his head. "Where's Nishi?" he asked her abruptly.

"Um," the innocent one hummed. "I'm not sure, but she has to be somewhere in or around the castle. You were asleep for a good few hours, so Lady Nanashi, Yosho, and I have been trading off staying with you every hour."

He raised his right arm up in front of her, turning it too and fro, assessing the ache the stemmed from his shoulder and back. "How long was I asleep?" he asked, rolling his shoulder back.

"Not long," she replied. "It's late morning. I think around 11 o'clock."

He frowned, blinking back wake himself up more thoroughly. "Same day?"

"Yes, my lord," she replied while nodding.

"Hn," he grunted.

He felt surprised that he had not been sleeping longer. Or hibernating in reaction or something. Before he climbed out of the bed, he took a chance to check himself under the blankets. Nishi, he hoped, had had the where with all to put a pair of pants on him from last night. He threw off the blankets, standing up. He wanted more clothing on though.

"Leave," he instructed the innocent one. "I need to get dressed."

"Oh," she gasped. "Yes, sir."

She left the room abruptly, looking slightly embarrassed. She was such a young, almost naive, demoness. She needed to be careful so she did not lose that idealism.

He dressed himself fully, cloak, sword, and all before he sought out Nishi. He found her, with the coward, her boy, and his girl. The coward was sitting back on his hunches with his palms facing out in front of him. His girl was busily punching his hands, with somewhat disappointingly weak hits. Perhaps she was holding back so as not to hurt him.

Nishi sat down cross legged nearby with her boy in front of her lap. A book was in front of her boy, as well as a colored... something. Something that could be useful in writing. He wanted his lineage and the royal line of the clan's mapped out for him to see it; to visualize it. It would also show Nishi what he discovered without her pestering him with too many questions that he had no idea how to answer properly.

As he approached the area, Nishi sensed him. She looked up and over at him with such a relieved face. Her boy looked up, shyly dropping his colored... thing. He stood up and stood close to Nishi, hand up by his mouth. One guess where he picked that behavior from.

He girl and the coward noticed him next. His girl called out to him. She abandoned the coward, running right over to Hiei. Almost foolishly, she did not slow down in her sprint. When she reached him, he picked her up and half swung her, slowing down her momentum without hurting her. He felt a slight twinge blossom from his right shoulder.

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to where Nishi and her boy was. "Good, you've got the clansman with you," he commented as he sat beside Nishi.

Her boy shyly hung by her side, at the other side of her. Hiei sat his girl down on his side, mirroring how her boy was with Nishi.

He pulled the book and colored... pens... her boy had been using. He sniffed the pen like object, unsure what it is was exactly. "Are these for writing?" he asked Nishi, who was sniffling a laugh at what he was doing.

She smiled at him, "well... they can be." She took the book from him and flipped to a blank page in the back. She gave her boy a side long glance. She flipped her gaze back to Hiei. "Why's he scared of you?"

He was not exactly scared, just cautious about what he did not understand. Or it was just him showing his human side that said demons were to be feared. He laughed her question off. "Probably the same reason you were frightened of me when you first met me. I'm intimidating. It's a normal human reaction to be frightened of demons. His human side is showing." He smiled at the memory of her hiding behind the fox when they first met.

He smirked, but she did not look amused. "Well, if you want this en pass to work, you better fix it," she dead panned.

He was tempted to tell her off for it, but after giving her boy a side long glance, he changed course. The boy did look scared. Perhaps of him. He hopped up to be on the balls of his feet, but knees still bent. He reached over with his left hand and grabbed her boy by the back of the collar carefully. He sat her boy back in front of him. Her boy had his hand in front of her mouth, but with a determined look behind the nervous look in his eyes.

Her boy looked so much like Nishi in that moment. Like she did when they first met and she had frightfully hid behind the fox. Or those days he chased all over the woods to make her stronger, braver, and faster. He reminisced over to Nishi, "you used to look the same way when I was training you for the Dark Tournament. Exact same gesture." He turned to look down at her boy. He guided her boys hands back down to his sides. "Whatever you're scared of boy, it isn't going away. Now, you may show signs of being a healer since before you were even born, but give it a year or two and you and your sister will start training to be fighters. And if you're anything like your mother was, ha, you've got a long way to go. And crying doesn't work on me. And I wouldn't recommend trying to fend me off with a kiss." He gave a soft chuckle at his own jokes.

He stopped laughing when her boy reached over and smacked his right hand in a way that looked weak, but packed a punch in and of itself. Hiei hissed through his teeth at the smack. In the back of his mind, he thought about how his girl never hit that hard before. Her boy looked nervous, bringing his hand back in front of his mouth.

Nishi asked nervously, "what wrong with your hand? Your bite?"

Hiei sighed, pulling off his cloak in the tight space between the four of them with a flourish. "It's a little bit more than that now." Her eyes went wide at the sight of the bruises on his upper right arm. "Apparently if you fight against that bird she fights back. And she only won because she controlled the dream. She dislocated my shoulder as well trying to subdue me. I popped it back into place after I woke up," he informed her.

Nishi shook her head subtly. "Bet you had some choice words for her after that. Glad I never thought to fight her." She clicked her teeth in displeasure.

The quiet sound she made nearly covered up the words her boy said, "father, do you want healed?"

Hiei looked down at her boy, making sure he understood what he said before he responded. Nishi turned back to her boy, asking him, "what was that sweetie?"

Hiei smirked as he unwrapped his make shift bandage around his hand. His bite was unwarranted for healing as it was shallow, but he could have it healed too anyway. He was looking forward to actually seeing first hand how his boy healed. It was a trait he was grateful for as he healed Nishi while she was pregnant with him and his girl.

"Alright," he said, holding out his hand. As her boy stepped over, Hiei felt a cooling, calming sensation over his skin as he was being healed. No pain, no discomfort, no desire to itch his skin in the process. To Nishi, he explained, "He asked if I wanted healed. Soft spoken. Doesn't get that from me."

Her boy moved his small hands up Hiei's forearm in a brushing manner until he reached his upper arm. Hiei settled himself back down to a sitting position so her boy could better reach his upper arm's bruises from the bird. His hands ran up to his shoulder, healing the damage from the dislocation there.

Once her boy was finished healing him, he backed up from Hiei. Hiei flexed his right arm, testing it out. There was no pain or tightness or discomfort. The healing was better than Yukina had done in the past. He studied her boy before him.

He picked him up by the back of his collar once more to put him right in front of himself. "Impressive." Her boy looked up at him, a glint of a smile shining in his eyes. "You'll be a healer and fighter. Given time, you might rival even Kurama's abilities when you're older." The idea was rather exciting. Two strong demons for children. He turned to Nishi, asking, "Will that work?"

Her boy had stepped away from him, sat himself down before Nishi, and laid his head in her lap. He blinked sleepily. "It's a start," she answered as she ran her hand through her boy's hair affectionately. Her boy must have used nearly all of his energy healing Hiei's arm and shoulder. He wondered vaguely how good of a healer the mate or even Yukina had been when they were the same age.

He nodded at Nishi once. Then he called over and pointed at him, "hn, you. Don't think I forgot abut you. Get over her. I need you to write something down."

Nishi put a gentle hand on his knee. "Gently." He clicked his teeth. "Please."

The coward stepped over to where they where, sitting down near Nishi and her boy.

Hiei pushed the book and crayons over to him. He instructed him, "using only two thirds of the page, draw the current Hayate's ancestral line. Start from Takashi, the third one, and go down the descendancy line until you reach the current Hayate."

The coward bulked. "That's a lot of people. I can't remember them all." Excuses.

Hiei told him simply, "then just do the important ones."

The coward huffed, but set to work, drawing a rather long and complex family tree.

Nishi studied the family tree that the coward was making, asking, "why is he doing this?"

He wanted the picture of it drawn and done before he explained it to her. "Because I need to see it so I can make sense of it."

She frowned at him, puzzled. "Make sense of what?" He did not answer her, but rather watched the coward do his work. To the coward, she asked, half surprised, "how would you even know all that?"

The coward answered as he worked, "all the clan members learn the genealogy of our people back to our ancestor that was adopted by the Great Hawk Spirit."

Hiei waited impatiently, trying to read the family tree upside down. He saw his exiled ancestor, Hayate the Rebel's name on the third line and then nothing else was drawn next to or below his name.

When the coward was finished, he began to explain the family tree and his work, "I didn't include everyone whose lines died out, grew less royal in the generations, or those who away without any importance, expect for Takashi the Black." He pointed at the eldest child's name under Takashi III. "Takashi the Black died after his son, Isamu II, was born, but before his father, Takashi III, died. Even though Takashi the Black passed away, he was still the eldest child and heir to Takashi III, so the inheritance passed to Isamu II instead of the next eldest child of Takashi III, Takahiro. When Takahiro's son, Hayate the Rebel, rebelled against his cousin and clan leader Isamu II to take the throne instead of, he lost the rebellion and was... exiled. Along with his supporters. Isamu II's eldest son took the throne next, and the line goes straight more or less now to Hayate VIII and his only child, Takashi." He pointed next up to Hiei's ancestor, "no one really knows what happened to him. When he died, no one reported him dream walking in their dreams."

There was Hiei's opening and he knew to seize it. He pulled the book away from the coward and put it front of him, right side up. "He had at least one child."

He drew down his own set of descendancy lines for eight generations, in line with the generations the coward had drawn more or less. He labeled each one with a question mark until he hit the line of Hayate VII. Here, he paused, drawing in a steadying breath. He drew one question mark and then a line across from that, and wrote his mother's name.

Nishi picked up on what he was doing immediately. She gasped, "no way."

He kept going, drawing the lines and writing the names of himself, Yukina, Nishi, and the twins.

The coward studied his addition to the family tree. He picked up on it much slower than Nishi had. "So you're a brother as well?"

He did not respond to his newfound brother. Nishi asked him softly, "so you know who your father is finally? And he was part of the clan?"

"No," he answered the both of them and the three questions between them. He could not quite count himself as a part of the clan quite yet. The revelation was too new. "And the Great Hawk Spirit says she doesn't know anything about him either unfortunately. Those who are not full clan members can decide to turn away from her and not accept her as a mother figure. They met when he died and he turned his back on her without a word. I tried to read her mind about him, but got nothing out of her."

Nishi rushed out her next set of questions, absentmindedly jostling her sleeping boy in her lap. "What did she tell you? But wouldn't you have been a wind demon if he was? Aren't all the Hayato clan wind demons?"

The coward beat him to answering for her. "Not necessarily. My mother was an outsider and an earth demon and my father was a wind demon from our clan. I'm a wind demon, but my sister is an earth demon. The dominant genetic traits wins depending on what genes are passed on to children. In my case it was wind, but my sister's was earth."

Hiei spoke up next, "and she said she didn't know who or what kind of demon Hayate the Rebel had a child with. Or what kind of demon any of these mysterious descendants ended up being. Each generation of Hayate the Rebel's descendants refused anything to do with her, so she never got to know them or ferry their souls to the Spirit World. Besides, any son of an ice maiden is automatically a fire demon demon to ensure he doesn't belong in their clan."

His last sentence hung over with the area, following a heavy silence. Hiei felt his girl squirm near him, settling her way down on the right side of his lap half insistently.

Nishi asked him, "hasn't she ever spoken to an ancestor of yours before they died like she spoke to you and me? Through someone who wouldn't use his dream walking nights?"

Hiei shook his head. "I had never met one of them before and she can't use someone to travel through to someone they never met before."

She softened her voice, asking, "so what now?"

Hiei thought back to what the bird had told him to do and warned him to stay allied, but distant of the clan and the large demon and the mate for now.

Hiei spoke candidly, "you're not going to like it, but Hayate stays an ally. It'd be even worse now that we're related if I ended that alliance."

Nishi gruffed. "I still don't like him."

He looked over at her cut hair. "Can't blame you for that." He reached his hand over to her hair, running his fingers through the shortened ends of it. It should never have been touched. "I did prefer it longer by the way," he thought aloud. "At least he knows now if he messes with you again, Minha's guards can't match my speed." The fight she had started with the large demon was going to need time to blow over.

Nishi looked down at the twins, her boy in her lap and his girl in his. She questioned, "why didn't they become wind demons instead of fire and ice if you have a wind demon ancestor and I'm a wind mage."

She seemed to have forgotten she was not a natural wind mage. "Probably because you being a wind mage is unnatural for a human. You were made into a wind mage when you inherited when you inherited the wind dragon from Kaze." He studied her, wondering if she would ever had been so strong if it were not for the wind dragon. He smirked. "Also, my demon genes, which are fire, ice, wind, and who knows what else, would be dominant over your human genes. And for all the generations from Hayate the Rebel's child down to my mother, we have no idea what type of demon any of them were. And no way to find out either." Just another set of unknowns he would never had answered. Things to just accept and let go of instead.

Nishi gave him an equal smirk. "Are you going to grow your hair long now as an outward sign of bravery."

"Hn," he laughed at the stupid idea. "I don't think that's necessary." He took a deep breath, thinking of the other news he needed to share with her. "But there's another problem. A change in your prophecy from the Great Hawk Spirit."

"What?" she asked, unsure of what he was saying now.

"The second prophecy she gave you stays the same, but the first one has changed. The target has changed from the possible destruction of the three worlds to just the possible destruction of the Human World as it is seen as the 'unholy' world," he told her.

She jumped, saying, "we've got to contact Koenma about that right away!" She checked her pocket for her cell phone, but the look on her face said she did not have it with her.

The coward reentered their conversation, "wait, you both received prophecies from Great Mother?"

Nishi turned back to him. "Yeah, I got mine the night before last. You didn't hear about it?" The coward shook his head at her. "She said that someone was targeting the three worlds and wanted to destroy them. But it's changed now to just targeting my old world."

The coward stared at them, as if partly star struck. "Both of you received prophecies. It sounds like one we were taught when we were younger. 'Outside the clan, the motherless mother claimed by the fatherless father will become victims in the clans' divide.'" Hiei felt himself pale a little bit. Nishi and himself nearly died by the doxy trainer's hand. Non-casualty types of victims.

"'If one or both die, the clan is doomed. If they survive, both will be warned by the Mother of impending doom.'" They had both survived, thankfully.

"'The motherless mother will speak two prophecies and be given two gifts; one from her soul and one a feather from the Mother.'" Her soul... The piece of Murkuro's soul that was removed. The feather she had been given...

"'The fatherless father will speak one prophecy and be given one gift; a claim.''' He had his own claim to leading the clan now, should he desire it. He could not quite picture it though. Running Muruko's old territory with Nishi was more than enough for him.

"'Once meeting the Mother, both will deepen their connections with the clan, intertwining their fates with the fates of all the clan.'" So true. Now they will never be able to separate themselves from the clan.

Nishi spoke slowly, saying, "well, that might not be us."

He looked over at her disbelievingly. The clues were right there in front of her. "How not? You got the feather and Mukuro was removed from your soul. I now have a claim to leading the clan if I really wanted it."

Nishi shook her head at him, disagreeably. "But you didn't really get a prophecy," she countered. "You just got a change in the prophecy I was given. And what if I don't really want to 'intertwine our fates with theirs'?"

Hie did not like her disagreeableness to that. "I think it's too late for that. But an alliance with them could still prove useful, even if I have threatened to kill Minha and Hayate attacked you."

Nishi gruffed, looking irritable. "I still don't like them," she grumbled. She looked up at coward, going apologetic. "Not you. I mean Hayate and Minha." She turned to Hiei, "could you really make a claim to the throne? I mean, what proof do you have?"

Hiei could convince the mate and large demon easily. "Just the truth. No one can lie to Hayate. And then there's the prophecy. It's obvious enough. I'm the 'fatherless father' because you are obviously the 'motherless mother' when she gave you the feather. That's proof. I could argue that because Takashi the Black died, the clan leadership could have gone to the next eldest son, Takahiro instead of Takashi the Black's son, which makes me the heir instead of Hayate. Takashi III chose his grandson as his heir instead of his living son." He raised his eyebrows up to her, asking, "want me to go there and make the claim?"

Nishi looked surprised at him. "Can you do that?"

The coward spoke up again, "he's visited a few times before. But only as a guest of Yasha and then later Hayate." He was really the guest of the mate, but Hiei did not bother to correct the coward. "The only way an outsider could visit was as a guest of a clan member. You came before as a guest first with Yasha and then later on open invitation of Hayate. Uninvited outsiders are unwelcome and seen as a threat. Guards could attack without warning."

Hiei recalled when the demoness had attacked him the first time he went to the clan. The stranger had sent him up to be attacked by her outside the gate. The large demon had to intervene before he killed her.

Hiei added, "well all I'd have to do if I wanted to go back is take Nanashi's feather with me to prove I'm a member of the clan and part of the outsiders prophecy. As for the guards, they won't stop me. Never have before."

Nishi took a determined breath. "If you're going there, then you're taking me with you."

He shook his head. He would not allow it as the bird has warned against it. Neither of them could go back to the clan until they were directly invited. It would be unwise if they did.

Hiei shook his head. "If I were to go there again, now is not a good time since the divide is out in the open and there's no doubt the aftermath of Ichiro's attack will be causing internal problems throughout the clan. And I've threatened Minha. If I go there again, I need to wait for things to calm down first." He bit back any possible harshness in his next words. "And bringing you there is out of the question. Only a small handful of the Hayato clan have ever met a human, and for most of them, that human was you. You're too foreign to them. Anyone of them could attack the second they sensed you."

The coward nodded readily in agreement with him, but it set Nishi on edge. "I could handle them."

He shook his head at her, but spoke to her in a way that would not set her on edge. "I'm still not taking that chance."

"I could find them myself then," she determined.

Hiei told her as gently as possible, "that's happening on my watch. If I do decide to go back, I'll wait months to let the heat die down and then I'll go myself and give my distant cousin the good news."

Nishi scowled at him, but the coward added in, "you're safer here for now, my lady." She looked over at him, annoyed. "We do take in refugees, but humans are a rare sight. You're the first one I've ever met." She looked slightly calmer. "Plus you did attack Hayate first. For me. I would hate for you to be harmed by anyone, my lady. Wait for an invite."

Nishi went silent, but was less grumpy than she had been. "How long could that be?" she asked him, not Hiei.

"I don't know, my lady. But be patient," he advised her.


	126. Chapter 126

Hiei spent the rest of that day with Nishi and the twins, glad when the moment came that they could shake off the coward. He seemed to want to follow Nishi around like a sick puppy. Her natural charm was working once again.

After dinner and putting the twins to bed, they headed up to their rooms. In their sitting room, they talked long into the night. He had not realized had lonely had been before now, even after she had told him to leave her be. Seemed rather flipped, but he tried to hear her out.

Both of them had their own confessions made, his fully and without withholding an information, even if she did cringe at the thought that he wanted to destroy the doxy trainer's soul.

As they kept talking, mostly her speaking, she slowly sunk her head down into his lap. Her speech was slurred with the desire to sleep, but she kept speaking. He ran his hand through her hair affectionately. She finally mumbled half a sentence out that ended with her falling asleep.

He felt tempted to fall asleep then and there, but resisted it. He shook her awake, coaxing her to follow him into the bedroom. She stumbled into the room, heading straight for bed. She sat down, kicking off her shoes. Then, fully clothed, she snuggled her way under the covers. She lay on her side, facing the middle. She had a hand half outstretched towards his side of the bed. He followed her, after stripping down to just his pants.

He climbed into their, tugging Nishi gently over to him. She groaned groggily under her breath, but cuddled up next to him; laying her head down on his chest. He brought arm around her, holding her close before falling asleep with ease he had not felt in months.

He woke up with a start, hardly sure what time it was. At first he thought Nishi had just moved in her sleep. She did that, and so much more. He blinked up at Nishi, seeing her silhouette above him in the grey, predawn light streaming through the window. She leaned her head down to his, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

He laid still beneath her as she continued to kiss him, hands roaming across his chest and middle. He wondered if this was just a dream or real life. She had a slightly frightened, but very determined look on his face. She kissed him deeply as she undid his pants. This was real life, not a dream based on the rise she was getting out of him. When he reached his hands up to undress her, but she bated his hands away.

Softly, she spoke, "there's something I really... want to do... I... please let me." She pulled him to a sitting position. "I don't..." she shook her head. "I won't be scared to do this."

"What are you doing?" he asked her as she guided him to on the edge of the bed.

"Please," she said vaguely. She edged around him, pulling him up to a standing position.

When she went down to her knees, he realized what she was doing, and he bulked. "No," he panicked, taking hold of her arm, meaning to pull her back up to her feet. This was the position and almost was the means of how the doxy trainer meant to kill her. He could not let her do this.

She pulled back against him, resisting his insistence for her to stand up. "Please," she pleaded in a tight voice. "I know this is something you like. I don't want to be afraid to do this for you."

It must have been something in her eyes or the way she spoke that made him concede when he did not want to. He let her arm go, bringing his hands to rest at his sides. He told himself that all he needed to do was stand there and enjoy it.

Before she started, Nishi muttered, "this is us. Here. Now. In the present." He was unsure if she said that for her benefit or for his.

She reached her hands up to the top and front of his pants, pulling out his cock slowly and carefully. Shakily, she rose up as high as her knees would allow her. She slipped his cock into his mouth, making take a soft inhale. He suddenly remembered how wonderful her mouth felt on him. He could feel her hands tremble on his thighs, but she kept going. He focused on her, blocking any other thoughts from his mind.

As he brought one hand to her hair, he brought his other hand to her one of her shaky hands. He guided her hand to tug his pants down on his hips until his lowest mate bite was exposed. "Touch here," he requested, guiding her hand to bite.

She did so, brushing her thumb across the bite. It sent shivers up his spine. An added touch here enhanced the pleasure he felt building because of the way she danced her tongue around him. He tightened his grip on her hair, tugging on it so hard, she winced vocally. The three feelings combined finished him so quickly. He plumped himself down to sit on the bed, laying his back down on the bed.

Once she swallowed, she sat back on her hunches, coughing for a few seconds. Once she could talk properly, she asked him, "are you okay...?"

He nodded, but then realized she would not be able to see that. "Yes," he breathed, feeling the desire to fall asleep overwhelm him.


	127. Chapter 127

"Hit me!" Nishi yelled in the yard in frustration at the coward across the grass from her. She ran at the coward across the yard, hitting him in the jaw, and nearly knocking him down. He backed away, but rallied slightly. He threw his own punch at her, but missed pathetically.

Hiei sat in a tree nearby, watching them. Nishi knew he was there, but the coward did not. A few weeks had passed since the coward was abandoned and exiled on their doorstep. Nishi insisted he stay with them, even after he attempted suicide.

Two weeks later, the coward had plucked up the courage to ask Nishi, not Hiei, to train him. It had surprised Nishi that the coward asked her, rather than Hiei. According to Nishi, she told the coward Hiei would be a better trainer than her, but he bulked at the very idea. Nishi then asked Hiei to watch them and advise her because she had no idea where to even begin.

So he did. The coward did not like it when he watched them openly, so Hiei hid in the trees, watching in secret from the coward. Afterward each session, he did give Nishi advice as to how to get the coward to improve. She implemented her suggestions a bit softer than he liked, but coward was learning slowly but surely.

The coward was panting now, hands coming to rest on his thighs. The cold chill in the air made his wheezing in and out visible. He was surprisingly less adapted to the chill than Nishi was. Occasionally he would heave a dry cough due to the cold air. It was odd to see someone who grew up in the mountains the clan owned shiver in this frigid winter with all his layer on, when Nishi, who was not as accustomed to it, was sweating slightly underneath her two layers of clothing.

Nishi looked across the yard at the coward, almost pityingly. "I think we can call it a day," she called over to him. "You look like you could use a hot drink and a hot shower."

The coward looked overwhelmingly relieved. "Yes milady, thank you milady," he gave her a flourishing bow, but did not move his feet. He stood there, shivering and waiting for something. He turned his head back for a quick glance in the direction of the castle. "Are you coming milady?" he asked through chattering teeth.

She shook her head, giving a small but coy smile. "No, not yet Hotaka. I think I should like to stay out for a little while longer yet. It's rather nice out," she replied. She shifted her weight on the frost layered grass. "You're dismissed, um... if you wish," she added when the coward still would not move.

"Many thanks milady," the coward said, adding another flourishing and respectful bow before shuffling tiredly on his way back to the castle.

Nishi stretched her arms up to the sky before bending down to stretch her legs. Next, she straightened up, bring one foot up behind her to stretch out her quad muscles in her leg. After a long pause, she repeated the process on her other leg.

Hiei jumped down from the tree he had been roosting in. She watched him approach her as she dropped her foot back to the ground. She brought her left arm across her chest, bringing her right arm around it to stretch her arm out properly next.

"How was he?" she called out as he sauntered over to her. She switched arms.

"Hn, better, but not much," he commented. Almost there. "Don't you ever get tired of him being such a sycophant? 'Yes, my lady. No, my lady, as it please my lady.'"

She heft a small laugh. "Why? Are you jealous, my lord?" she teased. Her guard seemed down. Without warning, he threw a punch at her. She ducked, dropping into a low crouch on the ground. She pushed off of her heals, tackling him around the middle.

She sent him down to the ground beneath her, but not for long. They landed in a tangle together on the ground, but Hiei was quick to get right square on top of her. He pinned her down beneath his hips. He leaned himself down over her, hands coming to rest on either side of her head.

She narrowed eyes up at him, smirking mischievously. "Is it your turn to be trained?" she asked in a demure voice.

She rolled her hips up, just once, to his. She raised her hand up to the left side of his face. She stroked it softly and then slide her hand down under his scarf and right against his mate bite. He drew in a sharp intake of breath as she touched him there.

In a rush, he clasped both of her wrists, pinning them down on either side of her head. He growled softly down at her. She rolled her hips back up against his, tempting him easily. He brought his mouth down over hers, claiming it with an almost brutal force.

She pulled her mouth away from his, turning her head to the side. Squirming, she slid her wrists free. She rolled them both, ensuring she was on top of him. Unexpectedly, she weaseled her way off of him and took off from him at a run.

He stood up, chasing after her in hot pursuit. When he caught up to her, she turned around and stopped in front of him. He stopped right in front of her, mirroring her stance. They were near the set of caves by the castle; the ones to the East that contained the hot springs. Not the ones to the North were Mukuro's fake mate had been burning in damnation.

"No weapons?" she asked with a coy smile.

He grunted in an agreeable response. He charged at her, swinging his fist at her. She ducked, but this time not fast enough. He clocked her on the side of her temple. She hissed through her teeth in response. She threw her own punch at him, getting him in the jaw. They continued on throwing punch for punch, both trying to gain ground on the other. Hiei managed to gain on Nishi after a few minutes. He got her to back against a nearest tree. This time he did not let her squirm away, no matter how hard she tried. The spark in her eye and the almost smile on her face were enough of a green light for him to pseudo-overpower her like this.

He pinned her against the tree, hands on her shoulders. Next, he kicked her feet apart, making her legs spread in a wider stance. He ground his hips against hers, making her gasp. He tightened his left hand's grip on her shoulder. He then brought his right hand down to her left breast, cupping it and then squeezing it hard. She quivered, but he still need not let go. Seekingly, he found her nipple underneath her two layers of warm clothing, pinching it in time with grinding his center on hers. She moaned softly, not pulling away.

He let her go after that, smirking predatorily up at her. She stared down at him determinedly. He stepped slightly away from her after that, but keeping her shoulder in had. She looked at him curiously as she took a step towards him and away from the tree. He clicked his teeth at her before yanking her down to the ground.

She landed on her hands and knees. He looked down at her, feeling his lust raise up in him. He thought about how cold it was out for her, but figured if he pressed close to her, she would not freeze when he pulled her pants down to her knees.

She nodded up at him. He knelt down beside her, grabbing her closest shoulder, and used it to shove her down onto her back. He climbed on top of her, tangling his legs around hers so she could not kick or buck him off. He reached both hands down to her chest, taking both breasts in his hands. He kneaded them firmly and roughly as she panted beneath him. Her hands lay listlessly at her sides, even as her face reddened.

He bent his head down, resting his mouth right next to her ear. "I want you," he hissed. "Right here. Right now." He bucked his hips against her and tightened his grip to emphasize his point.

She half winced, half moaned. "Now... yes," she managed to pant out. "Here... no..."

"Where then?" he asked, not letting up on his ministrations. The castle was kind of a long way off. Too far in his present state of mind.

"There's a cave..." she choked out. "One of the hot... spring ones... There's a small pool... towards the front... big enough..." she murmured incomprehensibly towards the end. "...torches..." she gasped out.

"Where is it?" he asked her. When she did not answer, he told her, "you will take me there." She managed to nod up at him in agreement. She tried to slip out from underneath him, but he held her fast. "But first," he preempted.

He shimmied his way down so he could get his hands at the top of her pants. He undid her pants. He then slipped down to her right side and petted his hand over her exposed flesh. She whimpered as he touch the places that made her hum. He moved his hand relentlessly, even as her back arched and her legs pressed together.

Then he just stopped abruptly. She opened her eyes, looking up at him with as neutral a face as she could manage. He smirked down at her, slipping two fingers deeply inside of her.

She moaned loudly and uncontrollably. He clamped his hand down on her mouth firmly, explaining, "only I get to hear you enjoy yourself."

Her moans were stifled, so now only he could hear how much she was enjoying this moment. She screamed against his palm when pleasure overcame her.

He slid his fingers out of her, wiping them off carelessly on the side of her pants. He rolled himself up onto his feet, tugging her along with him. "Come on," he said to her groggily form. "I want to find this cave."

She nodded, face blushing deeply. "This way," she murmured, leading him by the hand along a path only she knew of the two of them.

When they reached the pockets of caves, she led the one to the lowest one; the one with the biggest opening. Ten feet into the opening, Hiei noticed a torch set up on the wall. A small pile of rocks lay beneath the torch. Nishi knelt down, a little wobbly, next to the rocks. She moved a few out of the way and pulled out a box of matches. She arose back up into a standing position, striking a match. She lit the torch with the match and then pulled it out its cradle on the wall.

"Come along," she whispered demurely.

He followed her five torch lengths, each one she lit, down into the cave until they came to a medium size hot spring pool in the ground. It lay on the far side of the entrance from them. A small, but full formed, waterfall flowed down into it. Nishi used her torch to light the four other unlit torches in the room. Lastly, she put her torch in an empty cradle on the wall by the waterfall.

After that, she sauntered over in his direction in the dim glow of the torch light, stripping off her two warm tops as she did. She threw them over by where he stood at the entrance. She did the same with her bra. After that, she stripped off her socks and shoes; throwing them once more over to his feet. She finished off with stripping her pants, leggings, and panties. She tossed them over at him as well. After that, she turned around, shuffled cautiously over to the pool, and slid into its hot waters.

It did not take long for him to remove his own clothing and then join her. The water was not very deep. Just up to his collar bone at the deepest. She splashed at him boldly in the pleasantly hot water before she swam up close to him. She bent down, kissing him sweetly.

"How did you find this place?" he asked her softly.

"Midori and I discovered it back when-" she stopped, not finishing her sentence. "Back when she was my lady's maid," she finished, leaving the words she meant unsaid. "I want to use the hot springs from this set of caves as indoor heating for the castle. I hadn't had time though, what with all the doxy hunting drama that ensued."

He looked up at her, forgetting how brilliant she could put when she put her mind to something. Smarter than most demons in this world. He brought his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her head down to his to kiss him. She yielded to his lips willingly. He used his free hand to pull her by her lower back closer still to him. She pressed her warm body against his while her hands came to rest on his shoulders.

Slowly, she started to press on his shoulders, trying to get him to walk backwards. He let her guide him right up to a submerged edge of a ledge under the water behind him. He stumbled slightly, but did not lose his footing.

"Sit down," she said in a hushed, almost nervous voice.

He did as he was bid, hopping up onto the ledge beneath him. There was room enough for him to sit comfortably and lean his back against the edge of the pool. The hot water lapped around his waist. Nishi slipped onto his lap. Her skin had a faint pink glow to it. She snuck her hand between them and down his swollen cock. She rub it gingerly with her hand. He closed his eyes, focusing on how enjoyable her touch was.

When she let him go, he opened his eyes, looking at her curiously. She gave a mischievous smirk right before she slid her hand down to tease his lowest mate bite. It did not feel nearly as good as when she touched his cock, but pleasurable nonetheless. Gingerly, she brought her hips in line with his, and brought his cock inside of her. She rode him gently, all while touching his mate bite. The two actions together made his breath catch in his throat.

Next, she brought her free hand up to his chest, bringing her thumb down across his mate bite there, sending shivers down his spine.

"What are you doing?" he managed to say. He felt so close so suddenly that he could hardly think. He still had not finished, but the enhanced pleasure she was making him feel alone was more than enough. His breathing grew more ragged and louder with each touch of her body on his body. He felt like he could not think, only feel.

She did not respond to him, but rather brought her mouth down on his neck, kissing the mate bite in a testing manner. He moaned loudly at that as it intensified his pleasure.

"I... can't... I can't..." he moaned out. His hands came up to grip her hair with one hand and her hip with the other.

She still said nothing. She did something else that sent him over the edge into mind numbing pleasure. She bit down on the mate bite on his neck with a force that nearly broke his skin.

He shouted out so loud in response to her bite that his voice felt hoarse. The pleasure he felt from this culminated into the most intense orgasm he ever felt.

He laid his head down listlessly on the edge of the pool behind his head. He closed his eyes, still unable to think beyond how enjoyable that was.

When she got off of him, he hardly noticed. Instead he half dozed off in this pool. "Hiei," she said his name softly, shaking his shoulder gently. He did not move beyond turning his head towards her voice. "You fell asleep. Can you get up?" She shook his shoulder again. "We should get going..."

He dozed off again, half comprehending her words. He just wanted to fall asleep in his blissful state. He half heard her mumble something under her breath. Then he felt her tug him under his shoulders, pulling him out of the pool. He was more alright then as she tugged him to his feet. He stood there on his two wobbly feet. She dried him off with his cloak and then prodded and assisted him to dress himself, minus the cloak.

He just felt so tired, shaking with the desire to sleep. He stepped over to the wall of the cave nearest him, leaned against it, and peacefully fell asleep then and there.

When he came to, he noticed first Nishi's hushed voice. "I didn't know where else to bring him, Asa. I don't know what's wrong with him."

He smiled at the sound of her voice. He blinked his eyes open, still feeling just as tired as he had been when he fell asleep. Without turning his head, he could see her talking with someone, but their backs were turned on him.

He heard the wolf healer, who lived in the village near the castle, speak next, "what were you doing when he succumbed to his groggy state?"

"Uhmmm, mmm," Nishi's voice. "We were, well, in one of the caves I had told you about. One of the ones with the hot springs. We, um... slept together there."

He closed his eyes, wishing Nishi was close enough to touch.

"So that's why he is smiling in his sleep?" the wolf healer asked. "What exactly did you do to him? Anything unusual?"

Nishi hummed under her breath. "I... bit him and touched his mate bites while we were at it..." He smiled to himself, remembering how enjoyable it had been.

"That's right, you had told me you mate claimed him," the wolf healer commented. "Which bite did you touch while having sex?"

He could just imagine Nishi's face going pink at the bluntness of the question. "All three," she said.

The wolf healer choked out a laugh. "At the same time?"

"Yes..." Nishi admitted.

The wolf healer laughed more heartily at that. "You blissed him out."

Nishi asked, "what does that mean?"

"It can happen to freshly claimed mates. You overly pleasured him, more than he can handle. So now he's tired and needs to sleep it off to recover."

Nishi shared a chuckle with the wolf healer at her words. "I'll be more careful next time," she said with a pleased laugh.

Hiei turned on his side on the bed provided by the wolf healer, making the old bed creak. The two women turned around and looked down at him. He nuzzled his nose into the old, musty pillow. He mumbled Nishi's pet name before slipping back to a well earned slumber.


	128. Chapter 128

Nishi was panting and writhing beneath him on her stomach by the time Hiei finished inside of her for the third time that early morning. He had taken her so hard, fast, and intensely in the last hour that she could not hold manage to hold herself up on her hands and knees anymore.

After slipping out of her, he rolled over onto his side on the bed, panting himself. She was going to see the detective later for lunch in the Human World. He wanted to make sure the distance did not affect either one of them or make them pine too much over the separation. Plus they still had a lot of time to make up for.

He propped himself up on the bed, looking down at her dozing form. She had not even moved an inch since he finished. He reached a hand over, running the tips of his fingers along the length of her spine. She shivered temptingly. He looked at his still stiff cock, and then over at her. He figured she could handle one more round.

He rubbed himself, feeling sensitive, but likely not as sensitive as she had to be by now. When he felt hard enough, he turned her over onto her back. She awoke, gasping quietly as he straddled her. He smiled down predatorily, hand on his cock, rubbing it enough to keep himself hard. She closed her eyes and nodded twice up at him.

He went right back inside of her, making her cry out. She whimpered as he pounded her mercilessly. Her lower back arched up as she screamed in pleasure. Tired though he was, he did not let up.

"I... can't..." she moaned breathlessly.

He laughed down at her, looking at her almost pityingly. Since he had woken her up over an hour ago with his hand stroking her clit, he had lost count of how many times he made her come.

He took pulled her legs up and over his shoulders, even she pleaded the word, "please."

He next took her wrists in hand, pinning them down next to her head. "Nishi..." he said her name in a teasing voice. "Should I stop?" She kept squeezing him hard, almost involuntarily. She shook her head. He had her to the point where she could hardly breathe. "How many times have you come this morning?" She shook her head, unable to speak. He thrusted himself as deep as he could inside of her and then stopped abruptly. She blinked up at him, twitching her lips, trying not to pout. "Tell me and I'll keep going," he promised.

"Eh... el... e... eleven," she struggled to say.

He laughed softly down at her as he resumed his thrusting hard and rough, like she liked it. She arched her back, mouth opened in a silent scream as the twelfth one cut threw her. It did not take him long after to follow her. Twelve to four. A decent ratio.

He got off of her after that, laying down next to her half collapsed form. He placed a lazy hand on her lower stomach, stroking it softly. "Don't you have to get ready soon?" he cajoled her.

She blinked her eyes sleepily up at him, a disbelieving look on her face. "I'll have to shower..." she mumbled as she rolled herself to her slide and sloffed off the side of the bed. "After all that, you are not joining me," she told him, half teasingly.

He laid himself down on the bed, dozing off while he overheard her showering. He still dozed on as he listened to her quickly and quietly get ready for the day. She woke him up from his partly sleeping state as she leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips.

When she went to step away, he grabbed her hand to keep her from stepping away. "Don't take too long," he mumbled.

In response, she gave his hand a firm squeeze and breathed a soft laugh. "Don't you have some work of your own to do, my lord?" she teased.

He blinked his eyes open wearily. He sat himself up on the bed, watching her leave the room. He figured he better get up before the distance between them got to difficult to manage.

He knew the instant she had left the Demon World, but it was not as difficult as he had suspected. He knew she would be back before dinner. Bedding her thoroughly in the morning had helped. His mind only wondered, focusing on her while he worked through the list she had left him to do. A lot of work had gone neglected the past few months and Nishi was rather determined to have it completed.

At least the list for today took him no time at all to complete. He puttered around the castle, seeing the twins just before their nap time. He was not sure exactly what to do with himself to pass the time before Nishi's return. He saw the coward, but the coward was still skittish around him. He struggled between whether to call Hiei 'brother' or 'my lord.' The coward was wondering where Nishi was, like he was fearful of being in the castle without her.

He felt a re-surging feeling of calm settle over him. Nishi was back. He had been wandering around the second floor of the castle. He headed in the direction of the basement so he could find his mate.

That's when he heard her shout his name, "Hiei! The prophecy! The Human World is about to be attacked!" in a breathless tone.

He was walking down the stairs when he saw her burst forth from the door that led to the basement and their portal. He felt concerned with how panicky she was.

She barreled over the coward who had been waiting for her by the basement door. "Sorry," she said like an afterthought when she knocked him down.

Hiei walked down the stairs, feigning calm as she ran half way up the stairs. One look and he knew; she was terrified. She could not go on this mission if she was scared. He would not let her go. Not unless she proved to him she would not let her fear shut her down. She would not be a victim ever again.

She rushed out, fearfully, "Spirit World... hostages were taken by a terrorist group from the Human World. They've taken hostages in the Spirit World and plan to kill. They have an inter-dimensional laser aimed at the Human World. They demand that all demons residing in the Human World return to the Demon World and vice versa. We have to stop them!" She had herself half worked up in a frenzy. "The Great Hawk Spirit told us so. We have to go!"

He looked at her, almost in disbelief that this happened so fast, so soon. Nishi was too scared for this. "So my prophecy came true after all," he stated. She stared at him, confused by how calm he was behaving. He would rather she stayed behind if she was scared. Scared nearly got her killed with the doxies and the doxy trainer. "Are you scared?" he asked her, even though he knew the answer.

"No," she choked out the lie.

Her hand instinctively came up to her mouth. The second she realized it, she shot it right back down to her side. The bird may have told them they both needed to be a part of the team to stop these terrorists, but he would rather see Nishi stay behind than risk her life or get hurt because fear distracted her.

She turned her back on him, running down the stairs. She was not going if she was frightened. He ran after her, stopping her before she reached the ground. He pinned her against the wall, hand resting around her neck. He needed to snap her out of her fear the best way he knew: pissing her off.

She was seething. Perfect. She growled at him, "what are you doing?! You're wasting time! My world is in danger!"

He wanted her to free herself from her fear. "Isn't this the part where you're supposed to convince me? Isn't that what the Great Hawk Spirit told you to do?"

His bold statement diffidently riled her up now. "You're kidding me!" She hesitated for only a second before attacking him with a knee to the stomach.

She shoved him away and then ran away. He did not let her get far though. Just before she reached the last step, he cut in front of her, and shoved down onto the steps below. She let out a scared squeak, bringing her arm over her face protectively.

"You're frightened," he named. "I can practically smell it on you." She looked at him. He saw her swallow thickly. He was not convinced, at all. "When you're frightened you make too many mistakes because you're more worried about your fears and less worried about making a smart move."

She shook her head up at him. "Yes, alright, I'm scared," she confessed. "But I'm not going to let that stop me from saving my world." She pulled herself to her feet. Boldly, she punched him in the jaw. He saw it coming miles away, but let her do it. It would rile her up. "But that's not going to stop me from-"

He cut her off. "From what?" he asked nastily. "Rushing into a fight when you're too scared to succeed?"

She went stony. "I can do it. Now, let's go."

She was still scared, but less so thankfully. She needed to be pissed off a little more first. "If you can convince me your fear won't get you in trouble, I'll go with you."

She drew an exasperated breath. "We don't have time for this!" Her nose twitched in sheer annoyance. "And now how do I convince you exactly?" He did not answer, knowing it would annoy her even further. She hissed through her teeth and then shoved him out of her way. She ran straight for the basement door. The coward, who had witnessed their whole fight, skittered away from near the door.

She did not make it. "Don't turn your back on me," he said out of his own budding frustration. How many times did he need to tell her not to turn her back on an enemy before it sunk in? He kicked her in the small of her back.

She rounded on him, full rage coloring her face. She was absolutely livid. She threw another punch at him, but he managed to block it. He threw his own. She managed to dodge it, but barely. In the fight that ensued, she tried to get back to the basement door, but he did not let her. If she wanted to get to portal in the basement, she had to earn it by getting past him.

In the midst of the fight, he got himself between her and the basement door. She would have to go through him to get downstairs.

She stepped away from, gritting her teeth. "Hotaka," she called over to the coward. "You're in charge of the castle until we get back." She looked a mix of nervous and resolute. She was almost over her fear enough to go on this mission.

She charged at him, probably in attempt to strike him again. "Hn, do you really think-" he started before she did something so reckless that it was unexpected.

She had run at him full force, not stopping for anything. She slammed her only body into his, sending both of them forcefully through the basement door. She was so foolish for doing that. Cautiously, he protected her neck, lest she break it in their tumble down the steps that followed. Now she was being much too reckless.

Nishi ended up on top of him, with his hands around her head and neck. "I wasn't expecting that," he grumbled. He felt his a crink and a twinge in his neck he knew should not be there.

"Ready to go now?" she growled down at him in a voice that dared him to try and tell her no. She cupped her hand around his neck, hovering just above his mate bite. She would not dare cross that line...

She brushed her hand ever so slightly across his neck. He felt the tiniest thrill of pleasure coil in his stomach. "Don't you dare," he hissed out.

She put a finger from her free hand down on his lips, rudely telling him to be silent. "Next words out of your mouth better be 'yes ma'am.' Ready to go?"

She pulled her finger from his mouth, staring him down ruefully. He felt his own temper spike. He went yank her hand off her neck. In retaliation, she dragged her hand across his neck vengefully.

It sent shivers down his spine. His hand hold around her wrist weakened. Such a dirty play. "Why you..." he bit back the words he would rather say.

She pulled her hand away from his. Then she held his arms down to the floor before he could even think to move. He hated how livid and yet aroused it made him. They had the mission to take care of. She leaned her face over his, hovering. "Those aren't the words I said you could use. Have I proven I'm not scared."

She was growing frustrating. "Get off me," he grumbled, hoping he would be able to hold back his arousal before it could distracting. She kissed him. "You're creating another problem you'll have to solve," he warned her.

She shook her head down at him. "It won't be if you don't come with me." He scowled at her, mind wondering if they could have a quick one before the mission now. "Now, did I prove I'm not going to let my fear get in the way?"

"Yes..." he bit out. "Ma'am," he added after a sharp look from her. Her actions were inappropriate for a fight, but all he wanted to do now was to pin her down and fuck her hard and fast.

"Ready to go now?" she asked. When she spoke, her voice betrayed a small spark of fear. He was now unsure once more she should go.

"Yes, ma'am," he conceded. She was still nervous. That would not do.

She got off of him, pulling her up by the scarf with her. "Let's go then."

When she let him go, he charged her. When she was about to jump into the portal, he tackled her. Both of them went flying over to the other side of the portal. She landed with her back against the wall. He stood in front of her, sword out and the tip on her neck before she even realized what had happened. She stared up at him ruefully.

"You're still scared," he told her.

"But not dead," she countered. She grabbed the blade, pulling it away from her. She hissed through her teeth. He could smell her blood coming from the new formed cut in his hand. She was not afraid at all now. In a rush, she kicked his legs out from under him. She remounted him, tangling her legs with his. Her hand came back down to his neck. She had better that try anything again. "And if I'm not dead, then I'm going. And you're going with me."

He tried to buck her off before she got a rise out of him. She brushed her thumb across his mate bite incredulously. "That's a dirty trick," he growled.

She repeated her action, redoubling his arousal. "When I get up, we're going into that portal without any more fighting this time."

"What makes you think that'll work?" he asked her. She tapped the spot on his neck. "Would stop that."

She half shook her head. "We need to go." She tapped his neck once.

He felt so distracted by his arousal now. Curse her for arousing him like that. "You better solve you're newest problem first." He wanted to be inside of her.

She shook her head. "We don't have time for any fun." She teasingly brought her face down closer to his. Her words said one thing, but her actions said another. "Have I convinced you yet?"

He bucked his hips, rubbing against her center. "Solve this problem, and I might agree."

She bent her head down lower, kissing him softly. She left her mouth there, hovering above his. She teased his neck playfully. She was such a bitch. "Agree and then I'll see about solving this problem," she challenged.

"Bitch," he growled under his breath. He nodded.

She looked slightly amused, but partially annoyed by what he said. She brought her mouth down once more to his, kissing him and rubbing the spot on his neck gingerly. He just wanted to fuck her; hard and fast. Then get to the mission. He just had to piss her off to get her past her fear...

She got off of him, crawling away from him, backwards. She leaned back, legs spread a little wide towards him. She beckoned him over to her. He went over to her, climbing on top of her. She pulled him over and down on her. He kissed her deeply, hoping she would let him take her here and now.

She rolled the two of them backwards and straight into their portal into the Human World. "Bitch," he swore at her again. Now not only had she been a cock tease, she also tricked him into the portal rather than getting him to into it willingly. Her laugh made it all the more irritating.

When they landed in the Human World, on the old psychic's land. He was on his feet first, stepping away from her. She stood up herself, walking towards the psychic's temple.

He half shouted over at her, "I don't know whether to kick your ass or fuck you right now."

"You'll do neither," she replied determinedly. "Let's go."

"You were just supposed to convince me," he called over to her without thinking. His temper and arousal raging within in. He wanted to either have another fight with her, a true one, or sleep with her. She stopped dead in tracks, turning back to look at him. "You were supposed to convince that you weren't afraid, instead you've proven to be a tease when you want to be," he accused. How did she expect him to go on with the mission after all the teasing she had just done to him?

She walked over to him, going from livid to guilty by the time she was standing in front of him. She sighed under her breath in annoyance. "I crossed a line. I'm sorry," she admitted mousily. She closed her eyes for the briefest seconds. "You have to be fast," she said as she knelt down before him. "Like two minutes fast," she added.

"I don't want your mouth," he retorted.

She huffed, but turned herself around to her hands and knees. She undid her own pants, pulling them and her panties down to the top of her knees. "Fast," she told him as he undid his belts and pants. "No teasing."

He undid his own pants. He knelt down behind her, sliding inside of her without delay. She cried out when he first slid in. She whimpered at first every time he thrusted inside of her, her head rested on her hands in front of her. He nearly gave into the temptation to not let her come, but could not bring himself to be so petty. He reached around her front, rubbing her clit, making her tighten around him and pant. She came on him with little effort. She must have been so sensitive from earlier that morning. He must have been too because it did not take him long to finish inside of her.

After they both had finished, she stood up, cold, frigid, and silent. She did not even look at him as she righted herself and then took off in flight towards the old psychic's temple. He ran after her swiftly.


End file.
